‘Not a kangaroo court’ – no confidence vote is denied
A VOTE of no confidence against a member of Leek Town Council was ruled out last week.
The call for a vote came just a few weeks after Councillor Gail Lockett was removed from all committees at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council after the authorities own standards board found that she had ‘lied’ over her council tax payments.
The standards board hearing came after an independent investigation had found that the Leek councillor had been untruthful when interviewed over her council tax payments.
Mrs Lockett presently serves as the chairman of the town council’s events committee. Since the hearing she been permanently removed from the controlling Conservative group on the district council.
At last week’s meeting of Leek Town Council, Councillor Stephen Wales, said: “Following the censure of Councillor Gail Lockett could we have a replacement for the events chairman.”
In reply Councillor John Povey said: “We have received no complaints over Councillor Lockett, so there is no need to act. There is no vacancy for an events chairman. We have had no notice of this matter and it is not on the agenda.”
Leek Mayor, Councillor Roy Tomkinson, said: “I have spoken to the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s monitoring officer, Mark Trillo. We now have it in writing to confirm that the matter relates to the district council, not the town council.”
Councillor Wales then asked for a vote of no confidence in Councillor Lockett to take place.
He said: “I asked for this matter to be placed on the agenda two weeks ago.”
He was supported by Councillor Pam Wood, who said: “We should have a vote to put this matter to bed.”
Following the request for the vote, chairman of the town council’s general purposes committee, Councillor Brian Johnson, refused to hold one.
He said: “We have sought legal advice from Mr Trillo. Councillor Wales could lodge a complaint. This is not a kangaroo court.”
Speaking to the Post & Times, Mr Wales said he was asking again for the issue of a vote of no confidence to be placed on the agenda for the next town council meeting.
He said: “Clearly Mr Trillo hasn’t understood that Leek Town Council chairs are appointed by the majority vote of council and not by the sub committees themselves.
“As the 26 week period has elapsed since this appointment and given the reputational damage surrounding this councillor it is clearly within the rules that there can be a vote of confidence in this case.
“I believe the potential for gaining local sponsors and general support to the events committee is impaired by this councillor and she should be removed from the role.
“It is a simple choice as to whether the council and in particular the Conservative section of Leek Town Council choose to keep Mrs Lockett in place or not.”