Agenda item

Model Code of Conduct

To update Members with regard to the new Model Code of Conduct prepared by the Local Government Association and to present to Council a new draft Code for its consideration (see pages 81-108).?

Model Code of Conduct

The report updated Members with regard to the new Model Code of Conduct prepared by the Local Government Association and presented to Council a new draft Code for its consideration.

The report was introduced by Councillor Wearmouth.

Councillor Dickinson sought clarity from the Monitoring Officer that any member with an open code of conduct issue could vote on the report. The Monitoring Officer confirmed this was correct with existing issues being dealt with under the current code. If Council chose to adopt the new code, new matters would be dealt with under that.

Councillor Morphet referred to declarations of membership of masonic lodges which had charitable purposes, and asked how many there were in Northumberland and which ones had charitable purposes. The Monitoring Officer was not able to answer that specific question but she added that the trainer who had provided training to the Council on code of conduct matters previously, had clarified that only lodges which had charitable status should be declared. However, only members themselves would know if their lodge had charitable status. A query had been raised with the LGA but no response had been received. If members wished further research to be done, then this could be.

Councillor Hill commented that she did not understand why members should have a problem with declaring anything, particularly those groups where members swore oaths of allegiance to each other. She welcomed the proposal to seek further legal advice.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that officers had done the further research requested by the Constitution Working Group. An approach had been made to the LGA and the training provided to members had been reviewed. She sought clarification that Councillor Hill was proposing an amendment to the code of conduct that members should include membership of these in their register of interests regardless of their status. Councillor Hill confirmed that she was, and this was seconded by Councillor Morphet.

Councillor Dodd suggested that Council refrain from making any further decisions on this issue until the further advice was received which had been sought. Councillor Hill replied that there was no advice which said councils should not do it.

Councillor Wearmouth felt it would be preferable to adopt the model code and amend it if necessary in light of any further advice.

In response to some comments regarding what the amendment was, Councillor Hill replied that membership of masonic lodges should declared regardless of their charitable status. She asked for a named vote on this, which was supported by the required number of members.

The Business Chair informed members that a reply had now been received from the LGA. They advised that if a lodge carried out charitable work then it could fall within other registrable interests. Councillor Hill wished her amendment to be voted upon, adding that members may have interests they wished to record in respect of that.

Councillor Bawn declared an interest as a member of a masonic lodge and felt that masonic lodges were subject to unfair conspiracy theories in the same way that other organisations were not. He felt it was prejudicial to declare membership of lodges because it resulted in unfavourable treatment in social media and attacks on members for being part of organisations which had many purposes. If the point of the vote was to unmask members, and a member could not take part in the vote by declaring an interest, then the object of the vote had been defeated. He asked whether members had to declare an interest, and if they did, could they take part? The Monitoring Officer advised that they could and that members were voting on the code of conduct as a whole which included declaration of all organisations of which they were members.

The Leader proposed that members agree the report as it stood, and a report would come back in July to address the masonic lodge issue. This was seconded by Councillor Dale.

Councillor Dickinson asked for advice regarding a declaration as someone who had worked with a masonic lodge and received various things for their community. Councillor Cartie raised a similar question regarding funding. 

Councillor Daley supported the Leader’s suggestion for a report in July given some of the queries which members were raising regarding links with the freemasons. This would allow advice to be included in the report regarding the need for any potential disclosures about that.

On Councillor Hill’s amendment being put to the vote, the votes were cast as follows:-

FOR: 8

AGAINST: 34

ABSTENTIONS: 21

The amendment was therefore defeated.

The Leader urged members to support the report’s recommendations as they stood and confirmed that a report would come back to July Council on the position regarding charitable bodies, not just masonic lodges as the issue was a wider one.

Councillor Reid asked for a named vote on the report’s recommendations but this was not supported by the required number of members.

It was therefore RESOLVED by show of hands that the model code of conduct be adopted in its entirety and a further report be brought to July Council as detailed by the Leader above.