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25
Mar 2023
Conservative councillor says Harrogate district alderman row 'deeply disappointing'
Conservative councillor Nick Brown has told the Stray Ferret he was left deeply disappointed by the dispute over making him an Honorary Alderman of the Borough of Harrogate.
This week many Conservative councillors voted in favour of giving him the civic title, going against a motion put forward by Harrogate Borough Council's Conservative leader Richard Cooper.
The title is being bestowed on councillors who have given over 15 years of good service to the authority, which is being abolished next week after 49 years.
Cllr Brown said:
Cllr Cooper's motion proposed blocking any councillor from becoming an honorary alderman or alderwoman if they refused to take actions recommended by the council's standards panel.
The row over Cllr Brown's Alderman status centred on the outcome of a standards investigation into comments he made about Cllr Cooper.
Following the investigation, Cllr Brown issued an apology to the council leader, which he shared with all Conservative councillors.
But his apology was not accepted by Cllr Cooper, who said advice from the council’s Independent Person deemed the apology “not acceptable”.
Cllr Brown said:
Cllr Brown said he now wished to put the matter behind him and focus on his new role as the councillor for Wathvale and Bishop Monkton on the new North Yorkshire Council.
Read More:
- Honorary alderman row overshadows final Harrogate council meeting
- Harrogate councillors block fellow Conservative from civic title as standards row continues
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