The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Standards Commission to hear Angus councillors complaint.
COUNCIL: Panel will hear evidence amid complaints that case has dragged on for far too long a time
A long-running complaint of inappropriate behaviour by one Angus councillor against another will finally be considered at a hearing on Monday.
The complaint first came to light in October last year after an alleged incident which involved Arbroath West and Letham Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Moore and Kirriemuir and Dean SNP councillor Julie Bell.
A panel of three representatives from the Standards Commission for Scotland will arrive at the local authority’s Forfar HQ to hold the hearing.
However, a council source has complained about the time it has taken for the matter to be considered – and has called on the Scottish Government to take action.
The source said: “The length of time that this has dragged on for is an absolute disgrace.
“When a complaint of this nature is made between elected members, then the people concerned still have to work together.
“That is why I think much more should be done to ensure complaints are
The length of time that this has dragged on for is an absolute disgrace
dealt with faster. This issue has been in the public domain for many months now and it has inevitably led to speculation about the exact nature of the complaint and this helps no one.
“Whatever the outcome, I think the Scottish Government need to look into why these complaints are taking so long to come to a conclusion.
“In my view, things could be done much faster to the benefit of all concerned without any threat to the integrity of the process or its outcome.”
The hearing can include taking testimony from witnesses and will decide if the code of conduct has been breached.
The team of three will then deliberate and reach its decision in private.
A sanction could be applied on the day if time permits, but a written determination will be provided within three days.
A range of sanctions can be imposed by the Standards Commission, including censure, suspension from all council meetings for up to a year, or disqualifying a councillor from being nominated for election as a councillor, or from being elected as a councillor for up to five years.
Although the complaint was initially believed to involve just the two councillors, a senior source at the local authority has claimed a third elected member has been called to the hearing, as well as two council officers.
When contacted by the Courier, Ms Bell felt it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage and Mr Moore, who previously served as a councillor in York, also declined to comment.