The minutes of the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee from the 29 June and 31 October, 2017 were submitted and the Council were asked, in respect of minute 10 (29 June, 2017) to:

(1)  agree the transfer of Council’s trusteeship of the Callister Youth Club to new Trustees, to avoid a continuation of its conflict of interest over 19 Argyle Street (Birkenhead);

(2)  reaffirm Council’s decisions to pay into the bank account of the Trust an annual sum equal to the market rent for 19 Argyle Street (currently estimated to be £14,000);

(3)  note the valuation obtained for the Trust’s premises in Slatey Road, Birkenhead but defers any decision on its future disposal or use pending the appointment of new Trustees;

(4)  defer any decision on a change to the objects of the Trust pending the appointment of new Trustees.

With regard to minute 21(2) of 31 October, 2017, Councillor Moira McLaughlin, Chair of the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee, read out a statement as follows:

“Councillors, this is an unusual action that I am taking tonight, but I am doing it as Chair of the Council`s Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee at the request of the committee members, and in response to an extraordinary demonstration of disrespect to both members of the public and to the authority of the Council by an elected member of this Council, Councillor Louise Reecejones.

In June of this year Councillor Reecejones was the subject of a Standards hearing when she was found to have used her position as Councillor to damage the reputation and lives of members of the public, and in doing so had shown disrespect to them and was in breach of the Members’ Code of conduct.

One of the sanctions imposed was that she be required to make a full written apology to those people she had harmed.

In October, the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee heard that she had failed to comply with any part of the sanctions imposed, that she had been found to have continued the activity which led to the findings of a breach and she had failed to cooperate in an open way with the Council commissioned investigation, and therefore she had further breached the Members’ Code of Conduct.

She was given a further 14 days to make the apology, and I understand she has not done that. She was also required to come to Full Council to repeat it to her fellow elected Members.

This was an indication of the anger and frustration felt by Committee Members at her actions but also at our lack of ability to impose meaningful sanctions, as a Council, when the behaviour of an elected Member falls so far below that expected by the people who elected us to uphold the Nolan Principals of honesty, integrity, selflessness and leadership.

This is an opportunity now for Councillor Reecejones to make some amends for her behaviour so far, and demonstrate the respect for this council that she has so far failed to do and I hope she will take it.”

It was then –

Resolved (56:1) (One abstention) – That the minutes of the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee of 29 June, 2017, be agreed.

Councillor Reecejones then addressed the Council as follows:

“Following legal advice I shall not be making any further comment on the matter as it’s the subject of legal action against Wirral Council and its Councillors. I shall also be making a formal complaint to the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority with regard to the conduct of the current Interim Assistant Director: Law and Governance, the former Assistant Director: Law and Governance and the legal staff working under their direction.”

In response to Councillor Ian Lewis, Vicki Shaw, the Council’s Acting Senior Manager Legal and Committee Services, stated that no further sanctions were available to the Council, she was not aware of any legal action against the Council and Council officers would be indemnified against any action through the Council’s insurance policies.

The Leader of the Council confirmed that Councillor Reecejones had been removed from all Committees and outside bodies.