Councillor must apologise for ‘offensive’ email
A COUNCILLOR must apologise for an “offensive” email sent to Caerphilly council’s leader and cabinet, a meeting has heard.
The standards committee found that Councillor David Poole’s complaint against Councillor Graham Simmonds was justified having caused offence to those involved.
Cllr Simmonds’ email contained “personal abuse” and “malicious allegations” against cabinet members, according to Cllr Poole.
But Cllr Simmonds said the email was not meant as an insult but as a comment on the authority’s performance.
The email referred to cabinet “failings” including financial overspends, the withdrawn local development plan (LDP), and a lack of investment in the Rhymney Valley.
It also criticised salaries of the leader and his cabinet – but Cllr Poole said decisions on councillor pay were made by the Independent Remuneration Panel of Wales.
Cllr Poole said he was offended by the email and its “abuse” of his cabinet, whose members he described as “hard-working” and “packed with talent”.
Cllr Simmonds said he would be prepared to apologise but said questions on issues on the authority’s pension liability, and the ongoing pay scandal regarding three former senior officers, remained unanswered.
When asked to justify copying officers into the email, he said they would be best qualified to answer the “difficult, technical questions”.
“There is no greater insult to the public than to withhold information,” said Cllr Simmonds.
“We have an excellent performance management depart here but I can’t get these reports. I can only assume it would reflect badly on the cabinet.”
Committee chairwoman Diane Holdroyd said there was a basis to Cllr Poole’s concerns and asked Cllr Simmonds to give a written apology to each cabinet member in seven days. “It was unfortunate that [Cllr Simmonds] used the language he did in his email to the leader,” said Mrs Holdroyd.
“While we heard Cllr Simmonds did not intend to cause offence, nevertheless he did. We advise him to take more care with future emails, and who they’re copied to.”