The Conservative Leader of the Council has officially disregarded the recommendations made by the Councillor Conduct Committee; a committee which deals with breaches of conduct and ensures that Councillors from all parties maintain the standards and ethics required of them in their role as elected representatives.
The Committee found that a Conservative member had breached the Medway Council Member Code of Conduct in January 2018, and recommended the Leader of the Council remove the member from two quasi-judicial bodies (Planning Committee and Licensing and Safety Committee) for the remainder of the municipal year. This recommendation was later dismissed by Cllr Jarrett, meaning the member in question will retain their committee memberships.
Cllr Julie Shaw, Medway Labour Party Whip and Councillor for Chatham Central said, ‘The Leader of the Council disregarding the recommendation of an all-party councillor conduct committee has brought the entire council in to disrepute. This action has revealed Cllr Jarrett’s bias and shows he considers members of his party to be above proper scrutiny. This also sets a dangerous precedent for future breaches of conduct.’
‘The Leader of the Council disregarding the recommendation of an all-party councillor conduct committee has brought the entire council in to disrepute. Cllr Julie Shaw, Councillor for Chatham Central and Medway Labour Group Whip
