No action on protest ‘stunt’ by councillor
NO action is to be taken against a former councillor following a series of complaints made to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales about her conduct by a local authority’s top officer.
Mark James, the chief executive of Carmarthenshire Council, complained to Ombudsman Nick Bennett about Sian Caiach, who was a member of the authority until May 2017, when she failed to get re-elected.
In his report, Mr Bennett stated: “Mr James made complaints that blog posts, an email and a letter to a newspaper that Councillor Caiach had written contained disrespectful, misleading and incorrect information.
“He also complained that Cllr Caiach had participated in a ‘stunt’ at the council’s reception area which was ‘degrading and humiliating’ and that Cllr Caiach’s conduct failed to show respect and consideration for the council staff involved and brought her office of councillor into disrepute.”
The focus of Mr James’ complaints was Ms Caiach’s public expressions of support for blogger Jacqui Thompson, who lost a libel action against Mr James and was ordered to pay £45,000 damages and costs to him, which she is currently doing at a court-agreed rate of £165 a month. If she defaults on payment, Mr James would be able to enforce sale of the home she shares with her husband and children at Llanwrda, near Llandovery.
The stunt referred to by Mr James involved a protest at County Hall in Carmarthen timed to coincide with a court hearing at which the county council was seeking a charging order on Mrs Thompson’s home for costs it incurred in funding Mr James’ involvement in the libel case.
The Assistant Auditor General for Wales had issued a report saying it was unlawful for the council to fund Mr James’ counter-claim, but the council refused to accept the finding.
Mr Bennett’s report states: “As part of the protest, a group of four people, including Cllr Caiach... entered County Hall and approached reception. [One of the other protestors] was covered in fake blood and had pieces of meat hanging out of [their] clothing. Cllr Caiach asked to deliver a package to the council’s chief executive and a call was made by a receptionist to the executive office to ask for assistance.
“The package contained a pig’s heart and was intended to be a symbolic representation of a ‘pound of flesh’.”
A junior officer refused to accept the package and the protestors left. Cllr Caiach said she had attended the protest because she thought it would be unjust for Mrs Thompson to be made homeless.
Mr Bennett said freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act allowed participation in a public protest. He also said senior officers and councillors should develop a “thicker skin” and not take offence at political comments that may be critical of them.
The report states: “As former Cllr Caiach was not re-elected... the Ombudsman considered that the matters were not sufficiently serious for it to be in the public interest to pursue further.”