Two York councillors who were ‘aggressive, insulting and disruptive’ towards a town council leader have broken their code of conduct.
That is the opinion of an independent investigator.
Haxby Town Council’s former chair Cllr Mark Guilford complained about the behaviour of councillors Ian Cuthbertson and Ed Pearson, who both represent the Haxby and Wigginton ward on City of York Council.
Cllr Guilford, a Conservative, alleged that both Liberal Democrat councillors were disrespectful and intimidating towards him and subjected him to inappropriate pressure in a series of claims said to have taken place between 2019 – 2021.
He also claimed that Cllr Pearson, who is also a town councillor, tried to use his influence to obtain a committee place on the town council for his mother, Ruth Pearson, who won a seat in a by-election in November last year.
It is ultimately up to the city council’s joint standards committee to decide if the councillors have broken the code of conduct.
Central to both complaints was a row about whether the town council should accept grant funding to spend on a local play area.
The Lib Dems organised a petition calling on the town council to accept the £5,900 grant. They claimed victory over the decision in an edition of the local party newsletter and made a negative reference to the town council.
‘Clearly misleading’
Investigator Stephen Pearson, of Freeths Solicitors, said in his report that various materials published by the city councillors were “clearly…misleading”.
He also said that town councillors were simply “motivated by concerns over whether a comparatively prosperous area such as Haxby should take funding earmarked for…more deprived areas of the city.”
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Cllr Cuthbertson is also alleged to have described the town council as a “dysfunctional” organisation which was being run “like a wild west town”. He is also said to have described Cllr Guilford as a “dictator” and to have “erupted in a fit of anger” in a meeting about the play area.
Cllr Cuthbertson has strongly denied those claims.
In a statement to the investigation he said his relationship with Cllr Guildford had grown “more difficult” since he became town council chairman, but that his relationships with most other town councillors had “been generally friendly, respectful, constructive and supportive”.
‘Verbal attacks’
Cllr Pearson, meanwhile, is also accused of verbal attacks on Cllr Guilford over local matters and of threatening him with a campaign against him if his mother did not “get what she wanted”.
Cllr Pearson has called Mr Pearson’s findings “misinformed and factually incorrect” and said the claims against him were politically motivated.
He added in a statement: “These are heinous, libellous accusations and a defamation of my good character.”
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Mr Pearson found that both councillors broke the code of conduct for failing to treat Cllr Guilford, as well as other members of the town council, with respect.
He also said that there was an “undercurrent” that both councillors felt that they had “a right to dictate to the town council” by virtue of their positions as city councillors.
Mr Pearson found that Cllr Pearson did seek to “improperly confer an advantage” for his mother by “making inappropriate threats to support her political ambitions”.
However, he found that neither councillor had sought to bully or intimidate anyone on Haxby Town Council.
City of York Council’s joint standards committee hearings sub-committee will meet on Friday, 2 September to consider the reports.