Councillor dismissed after benefit claim investigation survives Standard Committee‏

As blogged before here when Bracknell blog reported before the local papers on the dismissal of Borough Councillor Denise Whitbread from Holyport Cof E Primary School in 2008 after receiving social security benefits and after being found guilty of professional misconduct by the General Teaching Council of England (GTC) following an investigation by the Work and Pensions department and the Bracknell Borough Council.

A meeting of the referrals Sub-Committee of Bracknell Forest Council's Standards Committee have examined a complaint by the Bracknell Liberal Democrats about the conduct of Borough Councillor Denise Whitbread.

I can report that the Sub-Committee have rejected the complaint and the grounds that Denise conduct did not fall within the scope of the Code of Conduct in relation to her duties as a councillor.

Ray Earwicker, Lib Dem PPC for Bracknell, said 'it was outrageous that the Code of Conduct had been interpreted in this way. Elected representatives were also accountable to those that elected them and the community as a whole. Cllr Whitbread's action clearly served to undermine the confidence and trust that was placed in her when she was elected to serve the residents of Wildridings and Central in 2007.'

There is a possibility of an appeal by the Liberal Democrats by I guess this would result in the same conclusion by the Sub-Committee. It looks like that the only chance people will have their say on this issue will be during the next council election in 2011.