Tory rule-breaking claim thrown out (From Gazette Series)

Tory rule-breaking claim thrown out

TORY allegations that two Labour colleagues broke Stroud District Council rules in the failed housing transfer bid have been thrown out by local government watchdogs.

Group leader Cllr Hilary Fowles (Dursley) and housing spokesman Cllr Mattie Ross (Stonehouse) have been cleared by the London-based Standards Board for England of allegations of misconduct levelled at them by six backbench Conservatives.

Cllr Fowles said: "I am absolutely delighted. I don't know what they thought they were doing. We are elected to do a job and nothing is going to stop us doing that.

When people elect someone they expect you to work on their behalf and stand up for what you believe.

"The important things is we have to move on because the tenants have made a democratic choice."

Cllr Ross said: "I'm very relieved. I was more worried than I cared to express as I'm no maverick.

"The outcome is not surprising but it was still horrible to have it hanging over us. I just feel it was completely unnecessary. Not only did I not do what they said I did but the standards board said I could have done it anyway."

The group of Tories were named as Cllr Elisabeth Bird (Minchinhampton), Cllr Elizabeth Peters (Chalford) Cllr Nigel Cooper (Rodborough), Cllr John Jones (Severn), Cllr John Hudson (Cam East) and Cllr Graham Blackshaw (Rodborough).

They had complained their Labour counterparts had breached council rules by writing letters to local newspapers unchecked for accuracy and balance by the council and the Office of the Deputy Prime-Minister, organising tenants' anti-transfer group Stand Together Action Group and sponsoring a 'no vote' campaign.

But the allegations were dismissed by the board, which said the councillors were entitled to be action group members and write to the media, and that none of the information provided backed up the claims.

The board said: "In all the circumstances, it was considered that the alleged conduct (even if it were found to have occurred) would not have involved any failure to comply with the authority's code of conduct. This is not to suggest that the board condones or approves of any such alleged conduct.

"Accordingly, the decision was that this allegation should not be investigated."

Cllr Fowles said the tenants' decision to spurn transfer to a private housing association should be considered a compliment by the ruling Tory administration.

"Council tenants are perfectly happy with what the council has been doing for them," she said. "They should accept that and work out how to move forward and build bridges because a lot of unhappiness has resulted from the whole process."