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COUNCILLORS IN SMACKING ROW TOLD TO TURN THE OTHER CHEEK

Gennis Middleton

Wednesday March 19,2008

By Brian Swanson

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Two women councillors have been told to turn the other cheek in a bizare row over a pat on the bottom.

Glennis Middleton, the wife of the former SNP provost of Angus Council, complained that the current provost, Leslie Melville, smacked her on the backside and called her a “naughty girl” as they waited to go into a council meeting.

Mrs Middleton told the Scottish Standards Commission that the action by her fellow councillor was “offensive and demeaning.”

However, chief investigating officer Stuart Allan ruled that Leslie Melville’s slap on the rear, accompanied by a claim that she called Middleton a “naughty girl,” did not breach the required levels of respect for elected members.

And he went on to describe Mrs Melville’s action as a “friendly gee up gesture” at the door of Forfar’s Town and County Hall before a council meeting late last year.

It was the council officer’s view that no malicious intent could be attached, and that it was a friendly act and made in that spirit

Investigating officer Stuart Allan

Mrs Middleton had alleged that, she had been held up by a phone call before the full Angus Council meeting on November 8, and had been accosted by the provost at the door of the debating chamber.

The provost was waiting to be announced to councillors when she entered the chamber for the full meeting of the local authority.

Councillor Middleton told investigators she was making her way to the chamber and apologised to the provost for her lateness before asking provost Melville if she could wait a moment to allow her to get a drink of water from a nearby cooler.

She alleged that the provost slapped her on the bottom twice and called her a “naughty girl.”

In his findings, MrAllan said: “She believed it was intentional because it was her recollection that the respondent was standing at the door of the chamber and would have had to take five or six steps across the landing to reach her and slap her at the water cooler.

“But, according to evidence from a council officer, the provost was standing with her back to the stair window and, made a friendly ’gee- up’ gesture as Councillor Middleton passed by her.

“It was the council officer’s view that no malicious intent could be attached, and that it was a friendly act and made in that spirit.

“Councillor Melville’s actions did not juistify a finding that the councillors’ code of conduct had been breached.

“I hope this episode will not affect the future relationships between the councillors concerned.

“It would be sad, indeed, and of no benefit whatever to the citizens of Angus if their elected representatives did not try to get along with each other in the conduct of council business.”