A BURY councillor has been found guilty of disrespectful behaviour at a public meeting.
Pilkington Park ward councillor Peter Redstone has been ordered to apologise and be retrained after arguing with a resident, Ann Audin, at a meeting of Whitefield and Unsworth Local Area Partnership (LAP).
But Councillor Redstone has refused to accept the punishment, and has also hit out at Bury Council, fellow councillors and Mrs Audin.
He said the council’s standards sub-committee, which dished out the punishment, was nothing more than “kangaroo court” and that he had nothing to apologise for.
Councillor Redstone’s reaction and his refusal to comply with the order could lead to him being suspended or being removed from his post as portfolio holder for resource and performance — the person in charge of the council’s purse strings.
The council disciplinary action arose from an incident on June 2 when Councillor Redstone replied to a resident tired of being a victim of anti-social behaviour.
Councillor Redstone criticised the Government’s stance on criminals and said he hoped things would change “when Michelle gets into Parliament”, referring to his fellow ward councillor Michelle Wiseman, who will be running against Ivan Lewis to become Bury South MP at the next election.
Mrs Audin, the wife of Besses ward councillor Ken, responded, saying: “I thank Councillor Redstone for his speech, but we didn’t come here to hear a Conservative political broadcast.”
Backed by Unsworth ward councillor Joan Grimshaw, Mrs Audin alleged Councillor Redstone confronted her after the meeting when a further dispute took place.
Mrs Audin made a formal complaint to the council, whose standards sub-committee met on June 16.
In a letter from the borough solicitor Jane Hammond, the committee concluded that Councillor Redstone should apologise and be retrained on the council’s code of conduct’s stance on failing to treat others with respect and bringing the authority into disrepute.
Mrs Audin said she is satisfied with the outcome and would be awaiting Councillor Redstone’s apology with interest.
He has until 16 July to write the letter, but has told the Bury Times he has no intention of doing so.
“I was found guilty at this meeting in my absence in what has all the hallmarks of a Wild West court. Even murderers get to have a fair trial. This is totally political as far as I’m concerned,” said Councillor Redstone.
He added: “It really is barrack-room justice. I have written to Jane Hammond to tell her I have no case to answer. It’s no more than kangaroo court.
“As far as I’m concerned, it was a political meeting and I have nothing to apologise for. I will not be writing a letter of apology and they can take any action they want against me. If necessary, I will bring them before a court of law.
“This whole thing was started by people who aren’t wanted by the electorate. Mrs Audin was trounced at the elections and Joan Grimshaw got in by just a few votes despite being up against a complete newcomer.”
A Bury Council spokeswoman said the standards sub-committee was made up of three Labour councillors, three Conservative and one Liberal Democrat and four members of the public to ensure that any decision made was balanced.
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