An independent investigation into the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp incident has found six individuals to have breached Tameside Council’s code of conduct.
The independent report into the scandal that was unveiled last February is based on investigations of five current councillors and one former councillor at the local authority.
Investigator Linda Comstive examined the involvement of councillors Allison Gwynne, Brenda Warrington, Jack Naylor, George Newton and George Jones, as well as former councillor Claire Reid, providing evidence of their alleged breaches.
The subject members who participated in the WhatsApp group were all found to have contravened the following obligations in the local authority’s code of conduct: treat other councillors and members of the public with respect, and do not bring the role of councillor or the council into disrepute.
Across the group, further breaches of conduct included bullying, discrimination, misusing council resources, and failure to cooperate with any code of conduct investigation.
Those embroiled in the incident had claimed that the chat was private and not intended to be viewed by the public, with some of the councillors offering apologies for any offence caused.
Messages in the group chat allegedly contained ‘racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, hate speech and even threats of violence towards constituents including death’, according to complaints from Councillor Kaleel Khan.
Following the investigation, the council’s standards committee is due to discuss Ms Comstive’s findings on February 2.
