Pendle Council should create an independent body to consider complaints about councillors’ conduct, it has been suggested, following a recent standards hearing into door-kicking allegations described by one Tory councillor as ‘higgledy-piggledy’.

Conservative Coun Neil Butterworth said the current Standards Committee system is ‘harsh’, with councillors ‘judging’ fellow councillors if complaints are received about conduct.  

The Standards Committee system for complaints about elected borough councillors was raised at Pendle Council’s latest full council meeting. It followed a written apology from Lib-Dem Coun David Whipp, stemming from a standards hearing this August which found he breached a code of conduct about behaviour at a meeting in 2022, by forcefully opening a Nelson Town Hall door which other councillors were behind.

Standards meetings use an independent chairperson with no links to the council. They consider evidence from various people including senior council officers, staff, elected councillors and outside sources, if applicable. The council also has a separate internal system to consider complaints about paid staff. 

Based on the evidence provided and on the balance of probabilities, Coun Whipp applied ‘undue and excessive force’ on the door, the committee decided. He broke the code of conduct for councillors. The Standards Committee also found there was ‘generally inappropriate behaviour’ by others at the 2022 meeting.

Coun Whipp denied kicking the door. But following the committee’s decision, he gave a written apology.  That was read out by the Mayor of Pendle, Coun Mohammad Aslam, at the latest full meeting.

Commenting on the topic, Coun Neil Butterworth said: “I know Rose Rouse [Pendle’s chief executive] will disagree with me on this. The August standards meeting was the first time I have been on that committee. I found it a bit harsh. Councillors judging councillors is not a good thing because most of us are friends. We are required to judge someone who is a friend. I think it’s wrong. It should be done by an independent body.

“Making judgements about a councillor is difficult. It was difficult for me. I’m not going to say much about Coun Whipp tonight. I don’t want to judge people.

“The lady who was dealing with the August meeting into Coun Whipp was not advised and not aware of sanctions. The meeting was a bit higgledy-piggledy, in my view. I would ask the council if we can get an independent body to judge our friends.”

Independent Coun Mohammed Iqbal said: “I note the point about councillors judging other councillors. But I don’t think a full council meeting here can change arrangements for standards meetings.”

Pendle True Independent Coun Yasser Iqbal said: “The result is the result. I think it was a fair and valid committee.  Coun Whipp would say he is not happy with the result but I’m not sure where we would go with that. And an independent body would cost money.

“At the August standards meeting, I had to leave about 9pm after giving evidence. So I did not hear everything. But I would agree with you about the meeting. I gave evidence and so did others. There was a bit of heckling at the back. It was a bit volatile. People may not have liked what was said but it was people’s genuine recollections. As Coun Mohammed Iqbal said tonight, there are situations where people have to judge their peers. The mayor has now read Coun Whipp’s apology and I think we should move on.”

Coun Whipp declared an interest in the discussion about his apology and left the council chamber during it.