Media statement from the West Suffolk Standards Committee

18 Sep 2024

On the 13 May 2024 the West Suffolk Standards Committee met to consider the Monitoring Officer’s report (to include an investigating officer’s report and supporting evidence) and the view of an Independent Person to determine whether Councillor Nick Clarke of West Suffolk Council had breached the Suffolk Code of Conduct.

In considering the evidence, the Committee was unanimous in finding Councillor Clarke in breach of the Suffolk Code of Conduct.  The Committee considered this to be a serious breach and therefore imposed several sanctions to include:

• That Councillor Clarke write a letter of apology to each of the complainants, such letter to be approved by the Chair of the West Suffolk Standards Committee;
• Councillor Clarke to apologise to Council for the breaches.

Councillor Clarke has failed to comply with these sanctions and therefore on the 09 September 2024 the West Suffolk Standards Committee met to consider next steps.

The Committee noted that a failure to comply with any Code of Conduct determination and any sanction imposed constitutes a further breach of the Code of Conduct and determined that further action would be reasonable, proportionate and relevant to the circumstances.  The Committee therefore agreed the following actions:

• The Chair, on behalf of the Committee, will write to Councillor Clarke’s Group Leader, and the West Suffolk Conservative Association notifying them of the breaches and failure to comply with the sanctions imposed and seeking to understand what action they intend to take in the circumstances;
• A media statement will be issued about the Committee’s decision;
• The Chair will report the Committee’s decision at the next ordinary meeting of Council.

Cllr Roger Dicker, Chair of the West Suffolk Standards Committee, said: “The West Suffolk Standards Committee is concerned that Councillor Clarke has failed to comply with the Code of Conduct determination made by the Committee on the 13 May 2024 and therefore continues to be in breach of the Code.  Unfortunately, the sanctions which can be imposed upon him are limited so the Committee is looking to Councillor Clarke’s Conservative Group and Party to implement appropriate actions in accordance with their own group/party rules.”

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