Council standards committee asks councillor to respond to breach of conduct finding

AN independent report has found evidence that a Llanelli Town Councillor breached the code of conduct.

Carmarthenshire Council’s standards committee met behind closed doors to discuss a lengthy report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales about Llanelli town councillor Terry Davies.

In minutes of the meeting published on the county council’s website, the committee said it had resolved that the report contained evidence of a breach and that Cllr Davies should be given the opportunity to make representations in respect of the investigation’s findings.

The Ombudsman provided the Local Democracy Reporting Service with a brief summary of the report, which didn’t name Cllr Davies but outlined the nature of the allegations and the conclusions it reached.

It said its investigation found evidence which suggested the member – a term referring to councillors as they are elected members – had used discriminatory language towards other town councillors on February 9, 2021.

Witness accounts were taken from five councillors and members of the public. The report summary said the member denied that his actions had breached the code of conduct. It said other members said they were upset, sad and shaken following the incident, with one visibly shaking.

The Ombudsman concluded that the behaviour was suggestive of breaches of three provisions of the code of conduct. It said the behaviour was also, on balance, suggestive of a breach of another provision.

Cllr Davies, of Plaid Cymru, represents Llanelli’s Tyisha ward on the town council. In May this year he was also elected as a county councillor to represent Tyisha.

Contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said he could not comment at this stage, but that he would take up the committee’s invitation to respond. A comment was also sought from the town council.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales will add the standard’s committee decision to its summary report and then publish the report on its website.

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