Leicester Councillor Told to Apologise After Behaviour is Ruled "Tantamount to Bullying"

Strategic Insights -

A Leicester city councillor, Patrick Kitterick, has been ordered to apologise after a committee found his behaviour towards officers was aggressive and offensive. The councillor, who is a Green Party member, was briefed by officers on a proposed building purchase in November. He was accused of questioning the integrity of the officers and making personal attacks, which the standards committee deemed "tantamount to bullying". The councillor has denied the allegations, stating that his actions were necessary to "speak truth to power on behalf of the people of Leicester".

Key Takeaways:

  • Councillor Patrick Kitterick was found to have breached the authority's code of conduct after a standards committee investigation.
  • He was accused of being aggressive, angry, rude, and offensive towards council officers during a briefing on a proposed building purchase.
  • The committee ruled his behaviour was "tantamount to bullying" and found that he had leaked confidential information to the press.
  • Coun Kitterick has denied the allegations, stating that he was simply exercising his right to speak truth to power.
  • The councillor has been ordered to undergo training and has been asked to apologise to the officers involved.
  • The standards committee have acknowledged that Coun Kitterick had genuine concerns about the proposal and that it was understandable that he felt the need to raise his concerns robustly with the relevant officers.

Statistics:

  • The proposed building purchase is worth [amount not specified in the article].
  • The standards committee received [number not specified in the article] complaints about Coun Kitterick's behaviour.
  • The committee found that Coun Kitterick had leaked confidential information to the press, which is a breach of the authority's code of conduct.
  • The councillor has been ordered to undergo [number not specified in the article] hours of training.

Sources:

  • "Councillors told to apologise after complaint about building purchase" Leicester Mercury (November), cited in the article.
  • "Leicester City Council Standards Committee Report" (date not specified in the article), cited in the article.
  • "Councillor denies 'bullying' behaviour towards council officers" Leicester Mercury (date not specified in the article), cited in the article.