SOUTHPORT
Issue 5
F RA N K WA L D E R
Vol 25
www.champnews.com
SALE NOW ON UP TO
50% OFF
DORIS STREICH
31 January 2018
●
• B E T T Y B A R C L AY • L E B E K • B I A N C A •
5 WELD PARADE, BIRKDALE VILLAGE, PR8 2DT
Triple gold for town’s bionic man Playground protesters claim they were ‘bullied, intimidated and humiliated’ at meeting
GOOD CONDUCT TRAINING FOR COUNCILLORS! Report by Danielle Thompson
CLAIMS of bad behaviour and bullying by councillors towards members of the public have forced a review of the ‘Members Code of Conduct’. The move follows complaints from residents in Kew who alleged they were ‘bullied, intimidated and humiliated’ by two Lib Dem councillors over the future of a playground in the area, during heated exchanges at a meeting of the Southport Area Committee, and on social media. They reported their concerns to to the Chair of Sefton Council’s Initial Assessment Sub-Committee for Audit and Governance Cllr Robert Brennan who will now undertake a review of the Members Code of Conduct
Heated exchanges between residents and council members force authority to act on ‘bad behaviour’
and recommend compulsory conduct training and lessons on ‘appropriate social media use’ for all Sefton councillors. But the move has been slammed by one of the two councillors named for their bad behaviour Kew Ward councillor Fred Weavers. Birkdale Ward councillor Richard Hands is the other member named.
Cllr Weavers accused the Labour group in Southport of starting a smear campaign against him and told the Champion he believes he has been targeted as his seat is up for re-election in May. He said: “I am up for re-election and there is a definite smear campaign being targeted at me so the public will believe these false, defamatory accusations and lose faith in me - or to try to force me to step down. “It's horrible to have people yelling at you that you are a liar and all sorts of insults - but if I don't respond, I look guilty and if I do, then I am called a bully! “Are we supposed to just soak up abuse from some members of the public and never defend ourselves? I’m a businessman as well and it’s damaging for my private life and career too. The council’s Standards Committee would have taken both of us to task if we had done anything wrong - but we haven’t! Continued inside
Cllr Fred Weavers
‘We’re victims of Labour smear campaign’ say Lib Dem pair
Cllr Richard Hands