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‘Political agendas behind Standards Board cases’

Lib Dems back abolition of watchdog as colleagues face hearing


Cllr James Kempton: ‘stressful’
ISLINGTON’S ruling Liberal Democrats have voted overwhelmingly to abolish the Standards Board for England, the body currently investigating five of their councillors.
They backed a motion which was passed at the Lib Dem conference in Blackpool the week before a hearing that could result in council leader Steve Hitchins and four other councillors being barred from public office.
Cllr Hitchins, along with Lib Dem councillors Margot Dunn, Jyoti Vaja, Bridget Fox and Dorrie Valery face “cronyism” charges over the selection of Helen Bailey as the council’s chief executive.
This week, deputy council leader James Kempton criticised the Standards Board procedure as “a recipe for pursuing political agendas”.
Earlier Standards Board cases brought against Cllr Kempton were all dropped.
These included a complaint by former Labour mayor Pat Haynes about payments made by Cllr Kempton into a Lib Dem fighting fund and another that he had not responded quickly enough to a resident’s letter.
He said: “Often, the first thing you know about it is when a reporter rings you up. It’s a ludicrous position that complaints are being investigated and you don’t even know they are being made.
Cllr Kempton added: “As in the Islington case, it’s a recipe for pursuing political agendas.
“If you’re going to regulate, it’s got to be practical and we’re saying it’s completely out of step with the way local government operates
“We don’t want a charter of politically-motivated complaints that waste a great deal of time and don’t instill confidence in local government.”
He said it was stressful for the five councillors, who must pay for their legal representation, to have the Standards Board case hanging over them for three years.
He added: “The money is more stressful than the case.”
The Lib Dems favour a system of investigation similar to that used for MPs.
They join the Conservative Party in calling for the abolition of the Standards Board, which was introduced by the Labour government.
But former Labour council leader, Councillor Derek Sawyer, said: “It’s little surprise the Lib Dems don’t like the Standards Board. Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.
“The board has already ruled that two Islington Liberal Democrats have breached the councillors’ code of conduct, and another five are in front of a tribunal.
“It’s behaviour like this which means there has to be some sort of regulatory body to ensure higher standards in local
government,” he said.



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