No return to work for suspended councillor
More time needed to investigate claims
A councillor who was suspended last year after colleagues claimed he had bullied and intimidated them has been ordered to stay away from work for a further three months.
The Standards Commission for Scotland has decided to renew Strathmore councillor Colin Stewart’s interim suspension as it says it needs more time to fully investigate the claims.
The decision comes despite the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland (ESC) finding there was “insufficient evidence” that Mr Stewart “shouted aggressively” at councillor Roz McCall on two occasions last year, as had been claimed.
A report on the body’s findings so far also reveals staff have dismissed a second complaint alleging Mr Stewart had shown disrespect towards council officials by describing a proposal to put the Cross Tay Link Road through the planned Scone North development as “stupidity on stilts” last June.
However the ESC says it needs more time to assess the validity of a number of other complaints raised about Mr Stewart’s conduct “because of a lack of response on the part of some of the witnesses involved”.
A decision notice published by the Standards Commission said: “While the Standards Commission accepted that two of the complaints had been rejected by the ESC, it was nevertheless of the view that there remained a prima facie case that there may have been a pattern of bullying and intimidating behaviour by Councillor Stewart towards a number of individuals over a period of months.
“The Standards Commission noted that concerns had been raised previously that a failure to suspend Councillor Stewart may cause harm to officers and other members of the council and the health and social care partnership as they could be put into positions of fear, risk and alarm from working with him and, further, that both organisations may be unable to exercise their statutory functions as a result.
“The Standards Commission considered that, given the seriousness and extent of the allegations against Councillor Stewart and the variety of individuals affected by his alleged conduct, there remained a significant risk of harm to others.
“The Standards Commission was concerned about the negative effect the imposition of the interim suspension could have on Councillor Stewart’s wellbeing but continued to be of the view that the potential consequences to other individuals and to the organisations in question, outweighed the risk of reputational, financial or other damage to Councillor Stewart.
“The Standards Commission concluded that it was satisfied that it was both proportionate and in public interest for it to renew the interim suspension for a further three months.”
Mr Stewart yesterday maintained he’d done nothing wrong. He told the PA: “While I’m obviously disappointed that my interim suspension has yet to be lifted, I’m pleased that the investigation into one complaint showed that I hadn’t breached the code of conduct, and another complaint was dismissed as unfounded before any investigation even started.
“It is in nobody’s interest for this uncertainty to continue. The real losers are the residents of Strathmore who are deprived of full representation on the council and its committees even while zero complaints against me have been upheld.”