Fife councillor accused of breaching code

It is alleged that Tay Bridgehead councillor Tim Brett used his council computer and email to conduct party political business, which would be a breach of the code all Scottish councillors must adhere to.

It is claimed Cllr Brett used his council email account and computer to issue an email asking for help distributing party political election leaflets.

The allegations against him date from April 26, 2017.

If Cllr Brett is found to have been in breach of the code, he could be censured, suspended or disqualified.

Cllr Brett said he would not be making a comment until after the hearing on Monday.

The hearing, which will be conducted by the Standards Commission for Scotland (SCS), will be held at the council chambers in Glenrothes, starting at 9.30am on Monday morning.

Members of the public are free to attend the hearing.

A full investigation has been carried out by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland (CESPLS), who will outline the case against Cllr Brett, to which the councillor and his representatives can then respond.

The case will be heard by three members of the SCS, who, if it is found the breach occurred, will then decide on the sanction.

The panel will make its decision on the day of the hearing and will issue a full written decision within two weeks.

Professor Kevin Dunion, convenor of the SCS, said it was important the hearings were held in public.

Professor Dunion added: “All councillors in Scotland are legally obliged to abide by a clear code of conduct.

“That code exists to give the public confidence that unethical behaviour of any type will not be tolerated.

“In Scotland we benefit from a very stringent and well developed system, which ensures alleged breaches of codes are thoroughly investigated, while giving those accused a full and proper opportunity to defend or explain themselves.

“We would encourage anyone who is interested in finding out more to attend the hearing on the day.”

The SCS is independent of Government and political parties.

It promotes and enforces codes of conduct for councillors across Scotland, as well as individuals and regional public bodies such as the SQA and Scottish Water.