Defiant Torbay councillor hits out at ‘flawed’ conduct process

Supporters applauded as a defiant Torbay councillor resisted attempts to make her apologise for breaching the authority’s code of conduct.

Independent councillor Katya Maddison (Shiphay) had been ordered to make an ‘unequivocal apology’ and undergo training after an eight-hour hearing into an incident in which she said ‘shame on you’ to the council’s chief executive after a heated meeting last year.

She later wrote on Facebook that the council was ‘a sick institution’.

Earlier this month, the council’s standards committee decided that Cllr Maddison’s words to Anne-Marie Bond amounted to personal abuse.

She was asked at the beginning of a meeting of the full council if she was going to make her apology, but instead told the meeting: “This council has impugned my reputation by publishing the suggestion that I have something to apologise for.

“The hearing failed to offer any evidence that harm or disrepute was caused.”

Cllr Maddison did not make an apology, and sat down to applause as supporters waved a placard reading: “Wasting Public Funds – Shame On You Anne-Marie Bond”.

Above: Supporters of Cllr Katya Maddison with a placard. Image: Guy Henderson

There have been reports that the inquiry and hearing had cost the council £15,000, but in response to a question from Torbay MP and councillor Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) the figure of £9,901.50 was given.

Cllr Darling asked Cllr Jackie Thomas (Con, Kings Ash), who chaired the inquiry hearing: “Do you believe that this is an effective use of public funds, and are you proud that Torbay Council took this action?”

She said the costs had been high because Cllr Maddison had introduced ‘extra material’ and added: “The code of conduct is a very important part of being a Torbay councillor, and when the code is breached, there is a standard procedure we all have to respect.

“If you don’t break the rules, then Torbay Council wouldn’t have to undertake all these additional costs.”

Cllr Maddison claimed the whole process was ‘deeply flawed’.