Agenda

Proposed by Councillor Clark and seconded by Councillor Joy Andrews

"This Council deeply regrets the events that unfolded at the meeting of Council on 8 December 2016.  It is of fundamental importance to our political process that members are able to cast their votes freely and fairly, so that they can represent the will of the People.  Cllr John Raper's decision to fraudulently cast a vote on behalf of another member was an affront to democracy and the Rule of Law.  It was an attack on our democratic institution, and a betrayal of the ideals and values that generations before us made huge sacrifices to defend.

Consequently, this Council:

      i.        hereby censures Cllr John Raper for his totally reprehensible behaviour;

    ii.        Instructs the Monitoring Office to consider if there was any potential criminal actions specifically the offence of misconduct in Public Office.  His considerations to be conveyed to Council immediately and if appropriate to the police;

   iii.        refers the matter to the Standards (Overview and Scrutiny/Corporate Governance) Committee for consideration;

   iv.        calls upon Cllr Raper to refrain from participating in any vote at any Council meeting, including committees and working parties, until all investigations into his conduct are complete;

    v.        directs the Constitution Working Party to urgently review the Council's procedural rules relating to the use of the electronic voting system to prevent such an occurrence happening again;

   vi.        suspends 23.2 so as to amend the constitution with immediate effect and remove electronic voting;

vii.     a) revoke 15.3

          b) revoke 15.4

          c) amend 15.5 to comply with the above

viii.    once all of the above have been completed Full Council should return to these issues and amend the constitution as appropriate."

Requisition signed by Councillors Burr, Jowitt, Elizabeth Shields, Potter and Thornton.