Case of official who wore lanyard to asylum seeker hotel protest serves as cautionary tale to Telford councillors
The case of a councillor who wore an official council lanyard while taking part in an asylum seeker hotel protest was raised as one of several national cautionary tales at meeting in Telford.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s governance committee hears about cases involving councillor conduct from around the country as a way of highlighting the issues local elected officials face.
Councillors across Telford and Wrekin, at parish, town and borough council levels are governed by a code of conduct in common with those across the country.
A council officer told the meeting on Wednesday (October 8) that he picked out three topical and “fantastical” cases from “hundreds” of complaints made about elected members. He stressed that none of the cases involved Telford.
The committee was told of the case of an Exeter City councillor who wore a council lanyard while taking part in a hotel protest about asylum seekers.
“An opposing political party took issue at the councillor’s attendance and for wearing the lanyard,” the committee was told. The complaint alleged that the councillor brought the council into disrepute.
The committee was told that Exeter City Council has not commented on whether there has been a standards complaint.
Councillors also heard about a case in the Black Country where a councillor resigned from the party she was in after taking part in another hotel protest.
“Members have the right to freedom of political expression and association,” the committee was told. “They need to be aware of the application of the code of conduct.”
The officer told the meeting that he would report back if there is any action taken on those cases.
Councillors also heard about the case of a Labour councillor who made anonymous posts in Facebook community groups in support of Sheffield City Council’s local plan.
Councillor Ruth Millson had the Labour group whip withdrawn for three months and apologised after her identity was revealed following detective work by a community group.
“Making anonymous posts is not a good thing to do,” the meeting was told.
Councillor Bill Tomlinson (Liberal Democrat group leader, Shawbirch & Dothill), who does not use social media, said: “For young people these issues are far more important.”
He asked how councillors could draw the line between acting in a personal capacity or as a councillor.
The official, a lawyer, said: “It depends. It would have to be determined whether the councillor was acting in their capacity as a councillor.”
The meeting was told that councillors had to be aware of ‘respect’ and whether posts on social media “strayed into not being capable of being a political expression”.
