Call for tougher powers to deal with 'misbehaving' councillors in Hartlepool

A motion, signed by five Labour councillors, went before a full meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council.

Coun Brenda Harrison said it is a national problem and there have been recent incidents in Hartlepool where increased powers could have been used.

She called for the council to write to the Local Government Association (LGA) and the appropriate government minister asking them to look at the matter.

She said: “It’s a national problem really because councils are restricted as to how they deal with anyone who doesn’t adhere to the code of conduct.

“As councillors we need to be aware of the responsibility the role brings, we need to be responding to officers, staff and to the public in general in a respectful way.”

She said sanctions should ”go a little further than the present” – with the option to dismiss a councillor.

“I do think when a councillor misbehaves in an inappropriate way they bring disrepute on the whole council and we all suffer from people thinking that we are all doing the same sort of thing, which then leads to the public losing confidence in the council itself.”

Council officers noted the Committee for Standards in Public Life have been looking into the issue and have been in touch with the LGA over a model code of conduct to go to consultation in March.

Coun Stephen Akers-Belcher also called for the issue to go before the National Association of Councillors, which was agreed.

Coun Marjorie James said the move could lead to politically motivated decisions, adding there has to be someone independent in the process.

She said: “In principle I support the motion, what concerns me is that it could result in changes coming forward, it is open to political manoeuvre where you have a large group within an authority that they could protect their own member and exclude a member not in their group.

“I would hope the national guidance will include some kind of independent decision over whether a councillor should or should not be excluded.”

The motion was unanimously passed by councillors.