Warwickshire councillors apologise for special needs comments

Councillors' special needs comments cleared



Complaints against three councillors for their views on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have been dismissed.

An investigation took place into hundreds of complaints over contributions to a Warwickshire County Council scrutiny panel debate in January.

Jeff Morgan, Brian Hammersley and Clare Golby [pictured] have all been cleared of breaching the authority's code of conduct.

The investigation found Mr Morgan and Mr Hammersley had been entitled to make comments, although disrespectful, under freedom of speech protections, while Ms Golby's words were not deemed to have been disrespectful.

The investigation found Mr Morgan and Mr Hammersley had failed to be respectful, "champion the needs of the whole community" and uphold the reputation of the council, but also that they had been entitled to make the comments under freedom of speech protections.

Ms Golby's words were deemed not to have been disrespectful, nor to have caused reputational damage or a failure to champion the needs of the whole community.

The findings, external relating to Mr Hammersley and Mr Morgan recommended that the authority's chief executive "considers ways in which councillors can be supported to engage fully in debate at scrutiny and other committee meetings whilst ensuring that the language used is respectful, courteous, and sensitive to the matter concerned".

A rare outbreak of common sense