Spelthorne Council Leader to Undergo New Conduct Hearing

A Surrey council leader, who has previously faced sanctions, is scheduled for a new hearing regarding her conduct. This follows a determination that she did not issue an apology for disrespecting staff, contrary to her assertion. Councillor Joanne Sexton, who leads Spelthorne Borough Council, was determined to have mistreated a senior staff member. This finding emerged from a standards meeting conducted confidentially in October. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a related accusation of bullying was dismissed because of insufficient evidence. The member for Ashford East, representing the Independent Spelthorne Group, received an order to apologize for her actions but was not subjected to additional penalties. The council’s standards committee reported that six weeks subsequent to this, only a “meaningless” draft email was submitted for approval. The leader had previously stated that she had offered a private apology concerning the issue. The draft apology, which was not accepted, stated: “Whilst I maintain that I did nothing wrong and totally deny all the allegations, to draw a line under matters I have agreed to provide an apology.”In such, if you felt from this event that I disrespected you that was not my intention and for that I apologise.” While the precise particulars of the incident are kept confidential, the standards committee commented that the email “fell far short of an acceptable apology.” Furthermore, the complainant, after reviewing the draft, described it as “so heavily caveated that it was virtually meaningless.” The issue will be brought back for a new hearing following a determination that Sexton did not adhere to the sanction previously agreed upon. A specific date for this renewed hearing has not yet been established.