Issue - meetings

This Report provides the Standards Committee with the conclusions of the investigation following complaints made about Councillor Lisa Lewis. The investigator’s report is attached at Appendix A. The conclusion of the investigator is that Councillor Lewis did not breach the Code of Conduct, as she was not acting in the capacity of a councillor when sending the relevant tweet which resulted in the complaints.

Consideration was given to the report and conclusions of an investigation into a complaint relating to Cllr L Lewis and a copy of the appointed Independent Investigator’s Report was circulated with the agenda. The Investigator had undertaken a comprehensive appraisal and assessment based upon the current legal framework and the parameters imposed by the Code of Conduct and including interviews with the complainants and with the councillor concerned.

Cllr Farqhuar, on behalf of Cllr Lewis, apologised again on her behalf for unavoidable non-attendance and highlighted that she had sincerely apologised in relation to the matter complained of.

The overall conclusion of the Investigator was that Cllr Lewis had not breached the Code of Conduct because she was not acting in the capacity of a Councillor when she took the action that resulted in the complaints.

Whilst fully accepting the conclusions in this case, consideration was given to the wider issues of how councillors made use of social media. The Chairman reminded members of the useful and informative training which had recently been provided albeit that there had been a low turnout from councillors. The training underlined the importance for councillors of thinking very carefully about the way in which they use social media and the implications of their social media activity. It was suggested that the training session should be repeated on the day of the next Council meeting, immediately before the meeting, and that the Standards Committee should very strongly recommend that all councillors attended.

RESOLVED

(a) That the recommendations of the Independent Investigator into the complaints against Cllr L Lewis and the conclusion that she was not acting in her capacity as a Councillor when she took the action that resulted in the complaints, be accepted and that no further action be taken;

(b) That the previously organised training session on the use by councillors of social media be repeated at a time immediately before a Council meeting and that all Councillors who did not attend on a previous occasion be strongly recommended by the Standards Committee to attend.

Voting: Unanimous