Accusations of ‘bullying and intimidation’ as empty homes row turns bitter
ALEADING Conservative councillor could face a standards hearing for refusing to withdraw disputed accusations a Labour counterpart had some responsibility for a controversial Empty Homes Programme.
During a fiery Rossendale Council meeting, queries were also raised about Tory councillors’ links to Jake Berry MP and whether this influences their focus on a Labour councillor standing against Mr Berry in the this year’s general election.
All councillors were reminded about declaring their interests at the latest full meeting of the authority.
David Foxcroft, the borough’s Conservative opposition group leader, repeated accusations made at a previous meeting in February that Labour Coun Andy MacNae had some responsibility for the empty homes scheme, which collapsed in 2015 and has since impacted on the borough council finances.
Coun MacNae has strongly rejected the accusations. And other councillors criticised the Conservatives for raising the claims again.
It came when Coun MacNae asked for the official records, called minutes, of February’s full Rossendale Council meeting to be amended.
He said there were a ‘great seriousness of falsehoods’, which he wanted to clarify in order to stop accusations being repeated through this election year
He said: “Throughout the delivery of the empty homes scheme, from the submission of the bid to end, it came under the remit of former portfolio holder and former councillor Helen Jackson.
“Any suggestion that I had the responsibility is simply untrue.”
He also rejected suggestions that he was the ‘architect’ of the empty homes scheme.
Council documents showed it started in autumn 2010 under a former Conservative administration at Rossendale Council, linked to a vacant property strategy and government funding at the time, he said.
Coun MacNae added: “That was six months before I was even elected as a councillor. So the suggestion that I was the architect of the scheme is equally false. I want that to be clearly recorded and clearly understood by all parties.”
CONSERVATIVE Coun David Foxcroft claimed there were breaches of council debating rules at the February meeting and harassment of his Tory colleague Coun Jennifer Rigby, who made accusations against Andy
MacNae. She was not present at this month’s meeting.
Coun Foxcroft said: “During the February meeting there were multiple breaches about the general rules of debate. A member of this council was bullied, intimidated and forced to apologise when she put forward information that is demonstrably accurate. And I have the reports here that evidence that.
“Coun MacNae was the portfolio holder for regeneration and was responsible for the empty homes scheme, which is currently projected to lose Rossendale tax-payers up to £12million.
“Given this chamber can now be in no doubt, and I will keep these reports for anyone to see, will the council now write to Jennifer Rigby, to
protect her right to speak and to stop these attempts at intimidatory practises?”
However, other councillors disagreed. Some said Coun Foxcroft was making a speech about the February meeting rather than a ‘point-of-order’ about the current meeting.
The Mayor, Coun Andrew Walmsley, consulted a legal officer and Coun Foxcroft was then allowed to continue.
Coun Foxcroft asked if the council would ask individuals to apologise to Coun Rigby, who had ‘spoken the truth’.
Legal head Clare Birtwistle said: “This is obviously very emotive for the chamber. Points of order were raised about statements made a few weeks ago in February that were inaccurate. She [Coun Rigby] was asked to apologise and retract the statements, which she did. I’m not aware there was intimidatory behaviour by the mayor or any officers that evening.”
‘ACCUSATIONS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND’
BUT Coun Andy MacNae said: “The same accusations have been repeated here tonight which are demonstrably false. They cannot be allowed to stand.”
The Mayor turned to Coun Foxcroft and said: “We sought clarification about the statements made at the last meeting, when the monitoring officer said there were inaccuracies. I would ask again for an apology against that.”
However, Coun Foxcroft said: “I will not be withdrawing them. I will not be apologising. I have the reports here.”
He then named different reports from 2012, 2014 and 2015, which he said included Coun MacNae. But the mayor said the statement that Andy MacNae was the ‘architect’ of the scheme was untrue.
Community First Coun Alan Neal said: “The comments in February were untrue, defamatory and wholly inaccurate.
“The empty homes process started in 2010 under the previous administration. That’s a fact. Helen Jackson was the portfolio holder. It is not the gentleman [Andy
MacNae] who has been pilloried on social media.
“We have been talking earlier tonight about respect and civility. Some councillors need to go on that training. They are bringing the council into disrepute. I have never seen behaviour like this.”
Coun MacNae added: “I would hate for Coun Foxcroft to carry on spouting falsehoods and failing to understand the documents. Those same minutes talk about changes to portfolios that happened. Helen Johnson had the responsibilities.
“In 2014 and 2015 I would regularly report on a wide range of council work on regeneration. But I did not have responsibility for all those things. If Coun Foxcroft is raising this deliberately, he must stop or some serious things may happen.”
But Coun Foxcroft refused to withdraw his comments. The mayor then said the issue would be referred to standards procedures.
‘COUNCLLORS WORKING FOR JAKE BERRY MP’
THE latest council meeting began with a reminder to all councillors to declare any interests, which can be financial or non-financial, regarding issues up for debate.
Coun Alan Neal had emphasised the Nolan Principles about good standards in public life. The mayor asked councillors twice to declare any relevant interests.
But after the Empty Homes Programme row returned again, some councillors queried whether some Conservatives were raising the issue in connection to work for Jake Berry MP.
Labour’s Patrick Marriott said: “The Localism Act is very clear about declaring interests. When senior employees of Jake Berry MP turn-up and launch an untrue attack on an opponent {Andy MacNae}, a person may think they should have properly declared their interests.
“The councillors who acted on this are heads of communication for Jake Berry. Would a person on the bus think are they acting as councillors or for Jake Berry?”
Community First’s Dayne Powell added: “This is clearly trying to slur the character of a person who is standing for election. I’m embarrassed to be in the chamber where this is being out forward. You [David Foxcroft] are talking like Donald Trump.”
No further comments were made about declaration of interests.
OFFICIAL RECORDS
SEPARATELY, Rossendale Council’s website includes each councillors’ declarations of interest.
Coun Foxcroft’s employment or trade is shown as Stockport Homes Group. For clarity, it was not suggested that he earns a living or payment working for Jake Berry.
Separately, Jennifer Rigby and Scott Smith’s employment is recorded as communications officers at the office of Jake Berry MP. Coun
Rigby is also described as self employed and a campaign manager. Coun Smith’s declaration includes his role as a county councillor.
‘CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR BULLIED AT FEBRUARY MEETING’