Devon’s Reform leader has criticised a reprimand that requires him to apologise and undertake code of conduct training as a “stitch-up”.
Councillor Michael Fife Cook (Reform UK, Yelverton Rural) was brought before a committee that deals with complaints about councillor conduct over comments in an email to colleagues outlining safeguarding concerns about an event at Exeter Library.
The last time a special standards committee was held by Devon County Council was more than two years ago in March 2023.
The Out There Queer Fest included a Young Person’s Day that was hosted by Libraries Unlimited and festival organisers Out There, but it courted controversy over a stall that witnesses said included anatomical models of male and female genitalia, and a condom-fitting device.
Repeated complaints about the event from some quarters prompted an investigation by Libraries Unlimited into whether any safeguarding breaches had occurred, as well as a motion raised at Devon’s full council about safeguarding standards at public venues in the county.
Cllr Fife Cook said an investigator from Leicestershire had been involved as part of the process, claiming this would have cost the council “thousands” of pounds, and that both the time and money used for the standards committee procedure could have been better placed elsewhere.
Devon County Council said Cllr Fife Cook had been found in breach of its code of conduct on two counts “following allegations he made against two council officers”, and confirmed the apology and tailored training as the outcome.
In the email sent by Cllr Fife Cook, he said: “Our council officers can’t be trusted in safeguarding children.
“What consenting adults do with each other in the privacy of their own homes is their concern, but any normal person would look at what was on show at this event and would believe it was not appropriate for young children.
“To me this makes us all complicit in promoting and encouraging sexualisation of children. To allow future events like this in property owned by the public will be rightly deemed as reprehensible and we will all be at fault.”
After the hearing, which he had sought to make open but which was maintained as a closed session excluding the public and press, Cllr Fife Cook said: “It was quite obviously a stitch-up and an attempt to, through me as Reform leader, quieten us down.”
“But it has not worked, and instead alienated most members of Reform.”
A council spokesperson said it was council policy to have the standards hearings in so-called ‘part two’ meetings, which are not open to the press and public.
“This was a decision ratified by full council which supports complainants and encourages the reporting of standards breaches,” the spokesperson said.
Cllr Fife Cook claimed he had never met one of the complainants, and only spoken to the other once. Both are understood to be county council officers.
“Having sexual aids in a library in front of young children was wrong and a mistake,” he added.
“They have learned lessons and Queer Fest will now be moved upstairs [in the library] and be a ticket-only event.”
The county council could not confirm those new arrangements, stating that such details would be overseen by Libraries Unlimited and the event organisers.
It also stated it could not comment on the fees charged by the investigator who attended the hearing.
“GDPR would prohibit us from releasing his fees to the media – we may be able to estimate the total cost of the enquiry, but would not be able to do so for a few weeks.
“Councillors receive considerable training in standards and code of conduct matters so as to reduce the likelihood of breaches.”
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