Two Hove politicians face misconduct hearings

Two Hove politicians are facing misconduct hearings in the coming few weeks.

Councillor Dawn Barnett and former councillor Averil Older have been investigated over possible breaches of the code of conduct for members of Brighton and Hove City Council.

Councillor Barnett, who represents Hangleton and Knoll for the Conservatives, handed travellers in her ward directions to open spaces in wards with Green councillors.

She has been a vocal opponent of the Green Party’s “firm but fair” approach to travellers, which has included tolerating their presence temporarily at some sites in the area.

A council Standards Hearing Panel will decide whether her actions breached the code of conduct at a meeting on Tuesday 20 December.

If she is found to have breached the code she could be suspended. Councillor Barnett declined to comment.

A week earlier – on Tuesday 13 December – the panel will hear a complaint against Averil Older, who represented Central Hove for the Conservatives until she stood down at the local elections in May.

She is accused of taking photographs of members of the public who were in the public gallery at the stormy budget-setting meeting at Brighton Town Hall on Thursday 3 March.

The meeting – which was webcast by the council – had to be temporarily suspended because of the noisy protests and interruptions from the public gallery.

The webcast shows that security staff were called to restore order although it does not show the protesters being photographed.

One of the members of the public, Holly Smith, complained, saying that the former councillor had been asked to stop what she was doing by a man sitting by her.

Ms Smith said that the man said that he was a law student and could bring charges against Ms Older but she laughed in his face.

The former councillor is accused of failing to treat others with respect and conducting herself in a manner which could reasonably be regarded as bringing her office or authority into disrepute.

She accepts that she took the photographs but denies laughing in anyone’s face and does not accept that she failed to treat those in the public gallery with respect.

The panel, which meets at 10am on Tuesday 13 December, will decide whether to uphold the complaint.