The Ombudsman received a complaint that a Member (“the Member”) of Pembrey & Burry Port Town Council (“the Council”) had breached the Code of Conduct (“the Code”) by engaging in homophobic language and threatening and intimidating behaviour, during two separate incidents, in 2022 and 2023. The Complainant was a fellow member and from the same political party. The investigation considered whether the conduct breached paragraphs 4(b), 4(c) or 6(1)(a) of the Code.
The evidence confirmed that the Member was acting as an employee during the first incident and as a member of a political party during the second incident. Therefore, only paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Code, relating to disrepute, applied in the Member’s private capacity.
On balance, it was concluded that the evidence did not suggest that a breach of paragraph 6(1)(a) had occurred. Although the Member’s conduct may have been personally disreputable, the nature of the Member’s comments and conduct during both incidents did not appear to have an impact on the reputation of the Council or their office as a member in a manner which would engage this provision of the Code.
Under Section 69(4)(a) of the Local Government Act 2000, the Ombudsman decided that there was no evidence of a breach of the Code.