KENNEDY COMMENTS ON STANDARDS BOARD RULING RE: ISLINGTON COUNCIL

This morning an Adjudication Panel tribunal ruled that there had been "no breach of the code whatsoever" in a Standards Board case against five Liberal Democrat members of Islington Council. The five councillors including Council Leader Steve Hitchins had been accused of wrong doing by the Labour party in the appointment of Chief Executive Helen Bailey.

"I am delighted the Islington council leadership has been vindicated, and that they are continuing to do a great job in improving Islington."

ENDS

For further information on the tribunal’s findings please contact James Kempton on 0207 527 2683.

Notes to Editors

1. The original complaint was made by then Labour Islington Councillor Mary Creagh, in August 2002, immediately after the appointment of Helen Bailey as Islington’s Chief Executive, by the Council’s appointments sub-committee, and then Full Council, in July 2002.

2. The original complaint was made against Cllr Steve Hitchins (Council Leader) and Cllr Margot Dunn. It has since been expanded by the Standards Board to include also Cllr Bridget Fox, Cllr Jyoti Vaja and Cllr Dorrie Valery. The charge against Cllr Hitchins is that he "brought his office or authority into disrepute, failed to act in accordance with the authority’s requirements when using or authorising the use of its resources, failed to withdraw from meetings when matters in which he had a prejudicial interest were discussed and sought to improperly to influence decisions". The charge against the other councillors is that they "unlawfully discriminated against others, brought their office or authority into disrepute, and improperly secured an advantage or a disadvantage for others".

ENDS

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