code of conduct Tag

Council theft may be inside job yet no suspects found

INVESTIGATIONS into the mysterious theft of nearly £1,500 from Harrow Civic Centre – which auditors said had an ‘indication of staff involvement’ – have failed to uncover a suspect. Harrow Council had fought to keep the report into the incident confidential, but the Information Commissioner’s Office backed the Observer’s Freedom of Information request and ordered [...]

The Great Inertia Sector: A whistleblower’s account of council work where staff pull six-month sickies

In his emergency Budget this week, Chancellor George Osborne announced he was cutting public sector expenditure by 25 per cent. Unions have declared the cuts irresponsible. But are they? Here, one employee for a large inner London authority lifts the lid on the culture of inertia and incompetence at his workplace. The Mail knows the [...]

North Tyneside guilty of maladministration after barring resident from meetings

The Local Government Ombudsman has found North Tyneside Council guilty of maladministration after it barred a man from council meetings. The Ombudsman, Anne Seex, recommended that the local authority train staff on the public’s right to attend meetings and established public law principles in relation to administrative decision-making. Mr H’s relationship with various representatives of [...]

Councillors breach conduct code over planning application

A tribunal established that a Councillor’s actions could be regarded as likely to compromise the impartiality of Council Officers. Deputy Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Patrick Joyce, was found guilty of breaching the Council’s Members Code of Conduct when making deliberation on a planning application sought by Ms Anne Bishop, who is also [...]

Council Leader in no confidence vote about computer porn

After been caught with pornographic material on a laptop computer funded by Council Taxpayers, Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin, Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, is expected to apologise at a meeting where he faces a vote of no confidence by other members. Independent group leader, Councillor Ann Ray, is extremely upset as to the manner in which [...]