Apology for email halts council ban
A COUNCILLOR who was "rude and uncooperative" in an email to a teenager has avoided a two-month suspension by saying sorry.
Haverhill East councillor Gordon Cox handed a letter of apology to Emrys Green, 16, on Thursday, March 1 - the day his suspension was due to start.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council's standards committee earlier decided that Coun Cox had breached its code of conduct by failing to treat the teenager with respect in the email exchange, and ordered him to apologise - by accepting people of all ages are entitled to their opinions - or face suspension.
The row began when Coun Cox took a different youngster to task in the pages of a local newspaper, saying "children should not interrupt when adults are speaking" and that only "when they paid, could they have a say".
Youth councillor Emrys was infuriated by the comments and challenged them in a series of emails to Coun Cox, who replied in what Emrys described as a terse and disrespectful manner.
Coun Cox said: "A legally approved apology was handdelivered by myself in accordance with the standards board committee requirements on March 1 to the relevant person.
"Included in the apology was the statement: 'Individuals of all ages are entitled to express their views and opinions'.
"Regardless of my views and opinions, it does not help the residents who elected me to represent them if I am suspended."
Mick Graham, a member of Haverhill Town Council, said the issue highlighted problems in standards procedures.
He said: "Couldn't there have been a bit of mediation?
It wasn't a great big thing - although obviously the youngster was offended.
"I do not think Gordon meant it in the way it was taken. To ban him for two months would have been too much."
The complaint was initially dealt with by the Standards Board for England (SBE), the national body that deals with councillors' conduct.
An ethical standards monitoring officer then referred the matter to the borough council's own standards committee.
A spokesman for the SBE said monitoring officers do have the option to recommend mediation, but felt it was not suitable in this case.
Coun Gail Kenney, who represents Sawston, was due to appear before a Cambridgeshire County Council standards board today (Tuesday, 06 March) accused of racially insulting young Muslim women.
The hearing follows the resignation of Coun Ted Pateman from South Cambridgeshire District Council, who made a racist comment during a council workshop.
Source: Cambridge Evening News (02/03/2007)
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