Bullying claims are dismissed

COUNCIL leader Howard Sykes has hit out at parish councillor Ken Hulme after the standards committee rejected a complaint of bullying.

Oldham Council’s committee has ruled that it will not take action on the allegation made by Councillor Hulme.

After a meeting on November 3, last year, Hulme submitted a complaint that a response made by the Lib-Dem leader amounted to bullying and intimidation.

However, the committee ruled that Councillor Sykes’s response, answering a question about the cost of civic centre banners, was “robust” but did not infringe parts of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

The committee said they had taken into account the status of the questioner.

Councillor Sykes said: “I am sure the Standards Assessment Sub-Committee recognised that his complaint was thin and lacking in substance.

“This referral, in my view, was clearly frivolous. It is not the first time Parish Councillor Hulme has sought to use similar tactics to either gag or restrict the actions of people who have differing views to his own.”

Councillor Sykes at the time said Councillor Hulme had wasted time and money by not finding the information himself.

Councillor Hulme said: “I’m appealing the decision.

“I think it’s a travesty. It wouldn’t have been acceptable if I was a member of the public.

“A simple apology would have done, but it’s important that everybody should be able to get proper information with such political or personal snipes and evasion.”

Councillor Hulme now has 30 days to apply for a review of the decision.

He says he now plans to refer the local committee to the national standards board.