Clean up your conduct, standards watchdog tells councillors

Badly-behaved councillors are eroding trust in politics, a watchdog has said.

The Standards Commission for Scotland is “increasingly concerned” about referrals about disrespectful conduct by local government politicians towards colleagues, council officers and members of the public.

In the past year, the independent body has suspended councillors for being “rude, aggressive and confrontational”.

Complaints are so high that it is now asking elected members to commit to “respectful, civil debate” by signing up to a scheme set up in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox.

The Jo Cox Civility Pledge asks representatives to use a “civil and constructive tone” in debates, act with “integrity, honesty and compassion” and act “respectfully” towards people they disagree with.

The warning comes ahead of next year's Scottish Parliament election, and the commission says it is increasingly concerned “about the tone of political debate and the impact this is having on the public, both in terms of their engagement in politics and confidence in their elected representatives”. 

Suzanne Vestri, convenor of the Standards Commission for Scotland, said: “How politicians conduct themselves and interact with others in person, during debates, at meetings and on social media, has a significant impact on the standards of public debate. That’s why we’re calling for greater respect from our elected members, especially as emotions run high on the run up to the forthcoming parliamentary elections.  

“The Standards Commission for Scotland welcomes robust debate and asks politicians to lead by example by following the civility pledge and demonstrating the high standards of conduct the public is entitled to expect.” 

There are currently five complaints cases yet to be heard by the commission, involving councillors from Glasgow, Argyll and Bute and Highland councils. Amongst them, Glasgow Reform councillor Audrey Dempsey will face a code of conduct hearing over comments about her former Labour colleague Frank McAveety. George Redmond, former leader of the Glasgow Labour group, faces a hearing over an allegation he broke confidentiality rules.

The watchdog has handed down five suspensions since January, and two censures. Those suspended include independent Falkirk councillor Billy Buchanan, who was found to have been disrespectful to a planning officer. Aberdeen City Council independent Jennifer Stewart was given a four-month suspension for comments she made about Lord Provost David Cameron – comments the commission said amounted to “harassment” and a “personal attack on his age”.

Argyll and Bute’s Alastair Redman, another independent, was found to have made “disrespectful and discriminatory comments about a child in telephone conversations with an officer”. And a two-month suspension was imposed on Conservative Aberdeenshire Council member Wendy Agnew after she was found to have treated a planning applicant less favourably “because she was a gypsy traveller”.