Investigation into Councillor’s Conduct Confirmed As Closed But Complaint Resolutions Awaited

Published on: 17 Oct, 2019
Updated on: 19 Oct, 2019

Cllrs Susan Parker (left) and Caroline Reeves

By Martin Giles

The investigation into Cllr Susan Parker’s conduct, relating to a contested data breach, appears to have been confirmed as closed by a statement from the Council Leader Caroline Reeves today (October 16). The statement came in response to an enquiry from The Guildford Dragon NEWS.

The status of any investigation appeared unclear at last week’s full council meeting (October 8) when the monitoring officer Robert Parkin seemed to contradict the council leader, who had said that the matter was closed. Mr Parkin said that his investigation was still to be concluded.

It seems that the open investigation is into a complaint made by Cllr Parker (GGG, Send) relating to planning enforcement and a counter-complaint from a planning officer, but not into Cllr Parker’s conduct over the “data breach”.

The matter was raised at the council meeting by Cllr Parker who disputed agreement of the minutes of the August 27 Executive Committee meeting at which it was stated that Cllr Parker had resigned: “…in light of questions over conduct” and that a confidential review was underway.

Cllr Caroline Reeves (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas), told The Dragon: “I wouldn’t usually add anything to the original statement issued on 27 August, or make further comment, but Cllr Parker has subsequently mentioned this situation in public on a number of occasions.

“As leader of the council, decisions about the composition of the council’s Executive are a matter for me alone and transparency is a fundamental part of my overall approach to everything.

“When considering any decision, including Executive positions, I also need to be mindful of council procedures and processes. Cllr Parker made an internal complaint about a member of staff public by copying information to the press. In doing so, she also committed a data breach that the council had a legal duty to report. This is not the standard of behaviour I or others expect from a member of the Executive.

“As a result of her actions, I offered Cllr Parker the choice to resign from the Executive or be suspended during a confidential review. She chose to resign.
“To preserve fairness and ensure confidence in the process, the council does not comment on the details of confidential corporate complaints, so I can share no further information.

“Regarding the data breach. I can reassure the public that because officers followed the correct process, by reporting it and taking immediate mitigating steps, the ICO has agreed that although there was a breach no further action needs to be taken by or against the council.”

Cllr Parker contests the account as given by the council leader. She says: “The Information Commissioner’s Office [ICO] was contacted at or very soon after the time Cllr Reeves asked me to resign on 27th August, and I have been told they said that they weren’t interested in taking things further.

“This was confirmed by the email from James Whiteman [GBC managing director] which noted that my name wasn’t included [in the report of the data breach sent] on 29/8.  Others who are expert in this, including those with legal training, have confirmed to me that there was no breach of GDPR since the developer had already put his name into the public domain.”

“At the time Caroline Reeves asked me to resign, on 27th August, there was no enquiry into my conduct so her statement was factually untrue. That request – and the fact that my name was subject to defamatory allegations [ie the statement on…] was also in breach of GBC’s published whistleblower policy, which I have drawn to the council’s attention.”

Cllr Parker continued: “I made a complaint about Guildford Borough Council on 21 August,  and haven’t had a proper response.  On 29 August the Head of Enforcement filed a defensive complaint about me, dated after I’d resigned, in response to my original complaint.

“There was no justification for the incorrect press announcement about the investigation into my conduct.  It is effectively part of a cover-up, kicking dust into our eyes.”

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