Letter: The Minutes of the Complaints Hearing Make the Censure of Paul Spooner Clear

Published on: 5 Nov, 2026
Updated on: 5 Nov, 2026

From George Potter

Lib Dem borough councillor for Burpham

In response to: I Was Never Served With a Censure Letter

The minutes of the Standards Hearing Sub-Committee in question were published and are a matter of public record (https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=11351).

They make it clear that the sanction imposed by the sub-committee was to issue formal censure to Paul Spooner, following his refusal to apologise, and to issue a letter of advisement as to his future conduct.

The issuing of such a letter was a matter for officers, and I do not know whether such a letter was ever issued, but the censure itself was issued at the meeting in the form of the sub-committee’s resolution.

I would dispute Mr Spooner’s claim that I ever said: “it had served its purpose for political capital”. I have never made such a statement. And I would also point out that the sub-committee was convened because of an external complaint from members of the public, there was an independent investigation report which found against Mr Spooner, and the cross-party sub-committee members (who included a member of Mr Spooner’s own party group) unanimously agreed on the sanction imposed.

To suggest that there was a politically motivated aspect to the outcome of the sub-committee is both untrue and ridiculous. Every member of the sub-committee considered the evidence and representations before them carefully, on their merits alone, and for Mr Spooner to suggest otherwise is to insult the integrity of every one of the five councillors who sat on the sub-committee.