Shropshire Star

No government reply over plea to ban domestic abusers from all public office

The local government secretary has still not replied to a letter from Telford & Wrekin Council about barring people with domestic violence convictions from public office.

Published

Councillor Rae Evans told colleagues she had written again after her November message went unacknowledged by James Brokenshire MP.

That was sent after the borough’s councillors unanimously backed a motion calling for automatic disqualification.

But opposition leader Andrew Eade raised concerns that the council’s own domestic abuse strategy was not properly funded.

At a meeting of the full council, Labour’s Angela McClements asked: “Has the cabinet member for people’s services received a response from the minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government? That is following on from this council’s unanimous decision on September 20, 2018.”

On that date, councillor McClements introduced a motion at full council, which read: “We, as councillors, believe anyone who holds public office who in the past and present admit or have been convicted of domestic abuse should be barred from holding public office. We therefore call on the government to review its policy on this.”

All 47 of the councillors present on the night voted in favour.

Councillor Evans, who holds the people’s services portfolio in the Labour administration, said: “Yes, indeed, I wrote to James Brokenshire on November 6, asking for the government to recognise the parity of domestic abuse alongside sexual offences and anti-social behaviour and expand the disqualification criteria accordingly. To this date, I have not had a response. I have written again.”

The Telford and Wrekin Domestic Abuse Strategy for 2019-2021 was approved by the borough’s cabinet on December 13.

It aims to raise public awareness, discourage and prevent instances of violence and improve recording of such incidents.

Conservative leader councillor Eade welcomed the strategy, but added: “I’m sorry it has taken so long to produce.”

By Alex Moore, local democracy reporter