Councils at war over decision to block Mayor from standards committee

Martin Shipton

Historic comments made on Facebook by a Town Mayor have prompted a major rift between a county borough council and town and community councils within its boundaries.

George Etheridge, currently the Mayor of Blackwood, was nominated unanimously by the town and community councils to be their representative on the standards committee of Caerphilly County Borough Council.

But members of the county borough council have vetoed Cllr Etheridge’s nomination, following a written complaint made to Caerphilly council by a member of the public whose identity has not been disclosed.

The complainant stated: “I am writing to you as a concerned resident about the forthcoming nomination of George Etheridge to the council’s standards committee. Mr Etheridge has repeatedly tried to stir up racial tensions and displayed racial hatred, most recently with reference to asylum seekers.

“I am also aware of previous complaints to the Ombudsman about his language and conduct, and find it incredible that this individual can be nominated to the committee which is responsible for ensuring members uphold the highest standards, let alone sit on it.

“Given Mr Etheridge’s recent public comments, not least regarding alleged asylum seekers, I request his behaviour and conduct to be properly investigated before any such nomination be considered.”

In an email to Cllr Etheridge, Caerphilly council monitoring officer Robert Tranter stated: “I advised the member of the public that for a complaint of this nature they would have to complain to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. To date I have heard nothing further.”

Mr Tranter added: “I have seen your recent email to the council, and I would ask you to reflect on some of the statements that you have made. Your reaction is not really in keeping with a prospective member of the council’s standards committee.

One of Cllr Etheridge’s Facebook comments was made in response to a post from a member of the public who wrote: “English buying second homes by the coast, refugees in the valleys, Where do our kids live?” Cllr Etheridge responded: “Typical CCBC [Caerphilly County Borough Council] neglecting our own as usual. You should be ashamed of yourselves. What about our own homeless and vulnerable people? It’s about time CCBC got its priorities right.”

Critical

Cllr Etheridge told Nation.Cymru: “My comments were not racist, but were critical of Caerphilly council. I am not a racist – my step-brother is Afro-Caribbean. The council doesn’t want me on one of its committees because I speak my mind and won’t take any nonsense from them.

“The fact is that no complaint has been made about me to the Ombudsman, and I believe it is wholly wrong for the council to block my nomination to the standards committee. My nomination to the committee was supported by every town and community council that voted.”

Caerphilly council’s decision to block Cllr Etheridge’s nomination has created uproar on the county borough’s Town And Community Councils Liaison Committee (TCCLC).

One member of the TCCLC – Cllr Kev Ingram of Bedwas Trethomas & Machen Community Council has resigned in protest against what he described as a farce. He added: “The [vetoing of Cllr Etheridge] shows a blatant disregard for the TCCLC and lack of respect and I would go so far as to say it shows contempt.”

Cllr Etheridge has made a complaint of his own to the Ombudsman about Caerphilly council’s handling of the matter.

Dissatisfaction

In a letter to Nation.Cymru he stated: “It has become increasingly apparent that there is widespread dissatisfaction amongst Town and Community Councils. The manner in which elected members are spoken to is, at times, dismissive and discourteous, and there appears to be a culture of simply fobbing off legitimate concerns rather than engaging in meaningful dialogue.

“The meeting [I attended on Monday July 20] reinforced the perception that decision-making is overwhelmingly driven by officers, with elected representatives often left feeling their views carry little weight. If this perception is accurate, it raises serious questions about accountability, transparency and the health of local democracy.

“Town and Community Councils represent the communities they serve and should be regarded as valued partners, not as an inconvenience. Genuine collaboration requires listening, mutual respect and a willingness to work together to achieve the best outcomes for residents.

“Unless there is a real commitment to improving relationships and ensuring that both the Charter and the Nolan Principles are upheld in both spirit and practice, confidence between CCBC and Town and Community Councils will continue to deteriorate. Local democracy depends upon openness, accountability, respect for elected representatives and meaningful engagement. Without these, there is a real risk that public faith in the democratic process will continue to diminish.”

A spokesperson for Caerphilly council pointed us to a report that was considered at a full council meeting on June 30. The report put forward two options aimed at concluding the dispute: accept Cllr Etheridge’s nomination for membership of the standards committee or restart the selection process. Councillors decided to restart the process.

Caerphilly council said it didn’t wish to comment further.

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