Conservatives Cleared Over 'Inappropriate Behaviour' Allegations

Two members of West Lindsey District Council who faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been cleared following the investigation undertaken by Standards for England.

Standards for England have revealed that Mr. Adam Duguid, formerly Leader of the Council, and Cllr. Malcolm Parish, Conservative (Welton Ward) did not breach the code of conduct when they met a suspended council officer last year.

The two men were accused of bringing West Lindsey District Council into disrepute after they were present at a meeting with a suspended council worker in September 2009. However, Standards for England has concluded neither man discussed a disciplinary hearing that was ongoing at the time.

Cllr. Parish was said to have acted out of 'genuine concern for the officer's wellbeing' whilst Mr. Duguid's behaviour was described as 'not likely to compromise the impartiality' of the council's investigation.

Mr. Duguid, who lost his Market Rasen seat at the local elections in May, told the Echo:

"I think they did a very fair investigation. There were plenty of opportunities to raise points. My only criticism was it took rather a long time to be sorted."

Bernard Theobald addresses
the council lst year.

Meanwhile an announcement made by Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, means that local residents may never know the outcome of a report by the Audit Commission - which is pending publication in to matters related to governance at the authority - after the body was announced that it is to be scraped with the loss of 2,000 civil service posts as part of government cuts. Doubtlessly Mr. Bernard Theobald, Mr. Duguid's predecessor as Leader of the Council, who also lost his seat in recent elections, is probably delighted at that news.

Increase in Allegations Made About Parish, Town & District Councillors' Standards in Public Office

Bullying and harassment allegations have been made on twenty occasions against parish, town and district councillors working in the West Lindsey district, the Lincolnshire Echo today report.

The list of alleged misdemeanours released by West Lindsey District Council also includes eight claims of councillors failing to declare interests and six for using their position improperly.

The authority has received fifty-eight complaints about the behaviour of members since May 2008 with the number soaring from eighteen in 2008/09 to forty in 2009/10.

The council says its assessment sub-committee considered all requests with twenty-two referred for further investigation, which has included asking Standards for England to examine the issue.

West Lindsey Ditrict Council spokesman, Mr. Geoff O'Neill, said:

"Many of the complaints result from a lack of understanding by councillors and in these cases the panel will often recommend training as a way to resolve issues."

Caistor Town Council has received twenty-four while West Lindsey District Council recieve ten and Gainsborough Town Council seven. Members from parish councils which have come under scrutiny include Kexby, Faldingworth, Cherry Willingham and Bardney.

Four Councillors Referred to Standards Board for England

The Lincolnshire Echo reports today that for members of West Lindsey District Council have been referred to the Standards Board for England.

The, recently elected, Leader of the Council, Cllr. Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward) together with colleague Cllr. Malcolm Parish, Conservative (Welton Ward) and Independent Group Leader Cllr. Bernard Theobald, Independent (Wold View Ward) and Cllr. Stuart Kinch, Independent, (Torkesy Ward) face allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

The Standards Board has confirmed it is assessing a request to investigate allegations against Cllr. Theobald, Cllr. Duguid, Cllr. Stuart Kinch and Cllr Parish. The cases of the four men were referred to the national board by the district council's own standards committee.

Spokesman for West Lindsey District Council, Geoff O'Neill is reported to have confirmed to the paper that the complaints had been made by the Liberal Democrat Group and outgoing Chief Executive Mr. Duncan Sharkey, who it is understood had an increasingly strained relationship with Cllr. Theobald during his leadership of the authority.

As previously reported in the paper, Cllr. Duguid admitted meeting a council officer who had been suspended as part of an on-going inquiry into fraud and mismanagement allegations made against the authority's planning department. Leader of the Opposition, Cllr. Reg Shore, Liberal Democrat (Stow Ward) later alleged at a full council meeting that both Cllr. Parish and Cllr. Theobald were also present at this meeting. The Liberal Democrat Group at West Lindsey will want to make as much hay from this matter as possible in preparation for local elections on Thursday, 6th May 2010. They are fighting to regain control of the authority, which they lost two years ago, and have been sliding backwards, with two by-election defeats and one resignation, ever since.

The second issue which may require an investigation concerns a controversial planning application submitted by Cllr. Theobald to develop a house on land owned by himself, Cllr. Kinch and their respective wives.

West Lindsey District Council Leader Cllr. Duguid is reported to have said he was not surprised the issues were being investigated by the Standards Board and accepted he had made a mistake.