The Standards Committee of Lewisham Council met on Wednesday 19 November 2025 to discuss ongoing complaints against councillors, proposed changes to national standards frameworks, and the appointment of sub-committees. Decisions were made regarding the establishment of sub-committees to handle complaints and appeals.

Complaints Update

The committee received an update on three live complaints concerning the conduct of councillors. The first complaint, lodged in April 2025 by another member of the council, alleges breaches of paragraphs 8 and 9 of the Code of Conduct, relating to promoting equality, non-discrimination, and maintaining high standards of conduct. An initial assessment has been completed, and the matter has been referred for investigation by Kirstie Cole of Bevan Brittan LLP.

A second complaint, received in May 2025 from a member of the public, concerns two councillors. It alleges bias against one member and that the conduct of another member brought the council into disrepute, breaching paragraph 2.2(1) of the Code of Conduct by conferring an advantage or benefit. This complaint has also been deemed to warrant investigation, and an external investigating officer will be appointed.

The third complaint, received in October 2025 from a member of the public, involves two councillors. Due to the nature of the allegations, which could potentially amount to criminal conduct, the Monitoring Officer has referred the matter to the police and will delay any decision on the code of conduct aspect until the police have concluded their investigation.

Councillor Rosie Parry raised concerns about delays in complaint handling, citing a personal experience of waiting over six months for a complaint to be processed. She questioned the standards being set by the council when such delays occur and highlighted a situation where the council was out of legal scope and lacked a properly appointed independent person. Jeremy Chambers, the Monitoring Officer, responded by clarifying that as a complainant member of the public, Councillor Parry was not afforded legal access to an independent person. He assured the committee that all relevant parties are being kept informed and that the small number of complaints received are progressing appropriately.

Strengthening the Standards and Conduct Framework for Local Authorities in England

A verbal update was provided on the government's response to its consultation on strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England. The key points from the government's official response include:

• Mandatory Code of Conduct: Legislation will be introduced to create a mandatory minimum Code of Conduct for all councils across England. This is not a significant change for Lewisham Council, as it already has a formally adopted Code of Conduct and Standards Committee.
• Formal Standards Committees: All principal authorities will be required to have formal Standards Committees, which Lewisham Council already possesses.
• New Powers for Councils: Councils will gain the power to suspend councillors or elected mayors for serious breaches, including interim suspensions during police investigations. This marks a return to powers that were effectively removed by the Localism Act 2011.
• Disqualification for Gross Misconduct: A new category for disqualification will be introduced for gross misconduct and repeat offenders. This differs from previous measures, where suspension did not count towards disqualification under Section 85 of the Local Government Act. The new provisions allow for the disqualification of a councillor, and potentially permanent disqualification from standing for election.
• National Appeals Body: A national appeals body is being reintroduced, similar to the former Standards Board for England, which existed before the Localism Act.

Councillor Liam Shrivastava, Leader of the Lewisham Green Group, inquired whether these new changes would be applied retrospectively. Jeremy Chambers stated that while he could not give a 100% definitive answer, it was highly likely that the new legislation would not be applied retrospectively, as this is unusual in legislative terms and could lead to legal challenges. He referenced case law, such as Harvey and Ledbury Town Council, which suggests that member conduct should be judged under the Code of Conduct in force at the time of the breach.

Code of Conduct Induction Training for New Councillors

Councillor Hilary Moore, Chair of the Standards Committee, provided a verbal update on plans for Code of Conduct induction training for new councillors, scheduled for May 2026. This training will be extended to existing councillors as a refresher. The committee will also be communicating information regarding the pre-election publicity period, which begins on 23 March 2026, and how complaints will be handled during this time to avoid any risk to the election process.

Appointments to Standards Sub-Committees

The committee resolved to appoint members to two sub-committees, Sub-Committees A and B, which will be responsible for considering complaints and appeals under the Members' Code of Conduct. Each sub-committee will comprise five councillor members and three co-opted members, with no overlapping membership between the two. A key procedural safeguard is that any member substituted onto a sub-committee hearing a complaint will not be eligible to sit on the sub-committee hearing the appeal for the same case. This arrangement is designed to uphold the principles of natural justice, ensuring fairness, impartiality, and transparency by separating decision-making functions and excluding members who were involved in the initial decision from hearing appeals.