|
|
 |
| |
Lib Dem councillor Fred Carver points to some of the work that led to the email sent by Cllr Braithwaite |
How the ‘crap’ wall email built up into a huge investigation
Councillor escapes suspension over repair attack
ONE fiery email about the standards of repair work on a council estate led to months of investigation, interviews and a two-hour courtroom-style hearing for a Liberal Democrat councillor accused of being too tough on housing staff.
Councillor Paul Braithwaite emerged largely unscathed on Tuesday night after a panel of three fellow councillors and two independent appointees decided he had not brought the council into disrepute when he used the word “crap” and accused staff of being “oversensitive” in his email.
In theory, he could have been suspended from office by the panel but although he was found to have broken a members’ code of conduct demanding councillors treat staff with respect at all times, the offence is considered so low-level that the only real penalty will be a simple notification in a newspaper. And rather than embarrass Cllr Braithwaite, the case has further fuelled the discussion over the standard of work completed by the Buildings Maintenance Division, which has been under the microscope since a New Journal investigation into alleged “just sling it in” repair work.
Cllr Braithwaite said: “In my opinion the bigger offence here was perpetrated by Camden’s contractors BMD in their remedial repair work on a wall, which was of such an appallingly low standard that it was insulting to the residents. While Camden has many exemplary departments, housing repairs is regrettably not one of them.”
Colleagues from all parties have privately expressed sympathy with Cllr Braithwaite and are surprised that what they see as a disagreement over repairs to a wall has escalated so far, taking up the time of officials and even Camden’s borough solicitor Andrew Maughan.
One Labour member said: “This system can make mountains out of molehills. This could have been resolved at a much earlier stage without the need for all of this.”
There will be an internal investigation to see how Camden can avoid similar long-drawn out cases.
The system of letting councils investigate possible breaches themselves has only been recently introduced and is supposed to reduce the number of full-scale hearings but critics warn it has simply led to extravagant investigations into parochial matters.
The case against Cllr Braithwaite began in January when he sent an email disputing claims from a member of the housing department that repairs to a wall on the College Place estate in Camden Town were fine. He said he had waited six weeks for the work to be done and said he had become “frustrated” at the delays.
The message was meant to be only for the eyes of his Lib Dem colleagues but he blundered by “copying in” a patch manager connected with the repair work, who later filed a complaint through his union representative.
Cllr Braithwaite’s message said: “Can you believe this whine? Pathetic… the pointing looks like it was done by drunks.”
While he has supporters at the Town Hall among elected members, housing staff are fed up that councillors can fire off criticisms with little fear of being pulled up on language and tone.
Unison reps told the investigation Cllr Braithwaite’s complaints were “factually inaccurate” and that “respect for Cllr Braithwaite within the office had been damaged by the email exchange”.
Cllr Braithwaite, who holds the position of Cycling Champion at the Town Hall, maintains that he should have been given the chance to apologise and smooth over the issue in the days after he fired off the email.
He said: “I am human and I do get frustrated in my work as a councillor. In this instance, I flared up and got it off my chest by what is known as ‘flaming’, in a dashed-off email.
“I have been under the sword of Damocles for many months.”
Under the final ruling, Mr Maughan will now publicly announce the breach of the code of conduct. |
 |
|
|
|
| |
YOUR COMMENTS
I congratulate Cllr Braithwaite for voicing his concerns about
Camden Council and putting his constituent's perceptions above of Camden's
political correctness insanity.
As a tenant and community representative I have on endless occasions found
myself having to fight a system which closes ranks at the slightest hint of
holding Camden officers to account. This chronic disease is particularly
rampant in Camden's Housing Department, and those officers who are genuinely
dedicated in working positively with its tenants unfortunately are
overshadowed by those who believe are untouchable and can get away with
murder, and do so day in day out.It is sad that in this day and age it appears our Housing Managers have been
failing to manage effectively services manned by a few untouchables and
instead we find ourselves fighting a Housing Department opting to chuck the
baby out with the bath water by trying to privatise those very services in
stages. Shame on you Camden for choosing the easy way out! Perhaps Executive
members approving those decisions should take a page out of the likes of
Cllr Braithwaite!
Meric Apak
Chair, Artisan Dwellings Tenants Association
c/o Flat 6, 236 Royal College Street
London NW1 9QR
Well done Mr Braithwaite, plain language, rare in politics, tell it like it is!
Tony Peacock
NW2
|
|
|
|
