Agenda and minutes

None.

This report summarises the result of an investigation into an allegation that a member of the Council breached the Code of Conduct.

The committee met to consider allegations against Councillor Ann John (Leader of the Labour Group) made by Councillor Lorber (Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group). Members had before them the covering report and supplementary report which outlined the allegations. Attached to the supplementary report was a report by an independent investigator.

Members considered whether the proceedings of the committee should be held in public. As a preliminary matter the Monitoring Officer (who is the Director of Legal and Procurement) told the members of the committee that she had received a request from a person involved in the investigation that the matter be adjourned. The Monitoring Officer advised that on the representations made, adjournment was not appropriate, and members agree to proceed.

The Monitoring Officer reminded the committee of the guidance from Standards for England relating to the conduct of the meeting, namely that in most cases the public interest of transparency and openness would not be outweighed by the public interest in maintaining confidentiality. The Monitoring Officer advised members that in this case Councillor John had requested that the committee be in public and that this case was already in the public domain and had been in the press. Members considered the facts of this case and the guidance and concluded there were matters contained in the Investigator’s Report which should be discussed in private and that the public interest in doing so outweighed the public interest in holding the meeting publically.

Members considered the reports of the Monitoring Officer and the Investigator’s report. Members accepted, based on the evidence submitted by the Monitoring Officer, that there has been no failure to comply with the Code of Conduct on the part of Councillor Ann John.

RESOLVED:-

(i)         that the public interest in holding the meeting in private outweighs the public interest in having the meeting in public and that the meeting should be held in private;

(ii)        that it be accepted, based on the evidence submitted by the Monitoring Officer, that there has been no failure to comply with the Code of Conduct on the part of Councillor Ann John;

(iii)       that the report of the Investigator and the committee reports be made public.

None made.

None.