Report highlights Teignbridge Council bad behaviour

A Devon council is planning to appoint an independent expert to work out why some of its members are behaving so poorly.

A Devon council is planning to appoint an independent expert to work out why some of its members are behaving so poorly.
Teignbridge councillors will meet next week to consider a report from external advisers Grant Thornton which highlights a catalogue of bad behaviour in the council chamber.
According to the report, incidents have included swearing; using condescending and aggressive language; members talking over one another; arguing; leaving meetings early and muting one another’s microphones. The report says all groups have been involved to some extent.
It says behaviour and relationships at the council are ‘challenging’, despite the fact that Grant Thornton and others have issued a number of warnings.
A meeting of the full council had to be suspended last summer after one member swore at the chair and accused her of acting ‘like the police’. In 2021 another meeting was disrupted after a physical confrontation between two councillors.
The council’s own standards committee has not met for more than 18 months, partly due to behaviour issues on that committee itself.
The report goes on: “This impacts on the council’s reputation, working culture and ability to transact business as usual.”
The Grant Thornton report makes six recommendations. Among them, it says it should appoint an expert to investigate behaviour which impacts Teignbridge’s reputation and working culture, and then develop an action plan to deal with it.
It says swearing, abusive behaviour and lack of respect should not be tolerated, and it says only councillors with a track record of ‘excellent’ behaviour should be allowed to sit on the standards committee.
The council’s response says it is addressing the issues, but not all councillors are on board.
Under the heading ‘management responses’, the report states: “To date a small number of independent councillors who refuse to moderate their behaviour and their group leaders either refuse to or are unwilling to address the behaviour.”
It goes on: “Support and training is given to chairs and members but there is a lack of support from councillors across the chamber to address this behaviour in meetings.”
The report has been published with the agenda for next week’s meeting of the full Teignbridge council, at which it will be discussed.