Investigation Launched into Bullying Allegation Against Former Council Leader

An official inquiry is commencing regarding a bullying complaint directed at the former leader of a city council. This development occurs only weeks after Nick Kemp stepped down from his position at Newcastle City Council following the complaint, which he refutes. Following this, Kemp and five additional individuals departed from the governing Labour party, thereby eliminating the party’s majority. Officials from the council have verified that Director Michelle Percy’s complaint will be examined by an independent investigator. A spokesperson for the authority stated that “it will be for the investigator to decide how to carry out the investigation in accordance with the council’s protocol for dealing with complaints”. In a declaration released after his resignation as leader in September, Kemp asserted that he was “firmly of the opinion there is no case to answer in this matter”. Karen Kilgour, who succeeded Kemp as leader, is scheduled to face a vote of no confidence that the Liberal Democrat opposition intends to initiate at a full council meeting on 4 December. The meeting will also consider a Liberal Democrat motion advocating for an independent inquiry into the council’s political leadership. The Local Democracy Reporting Service has previously documented apprehensions regarding the organizational culture at the highest levels of the civic centre and within Newcastle Labour in recent years. In 2023, during questioning before the audit committee, Council chief executive Pam Smith declined to refute claims of a “toxic” atmosphere and bullying within the administration. Subsequent to that event, Jane Byrne of Labour resigned from the cabinet, alleging that officers were “undermining” the council. Furthermore, former Labour councillors John-Paul Stephenson, Shumel Rahman, and Habib Rahman have all referenced alleged bullying within the party during the past 18 months. Efforts have been made to contact Kemp for additional comment. You can follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.