Councillor won't say sorry

A complaint was made against independent Gunthorpe member Cllr Darren Fower by council leader Cllr John Holdich and Cllr John Fox relating to his campaign to keep the Town Hall’s public gallery open.

He was accused of petition data breaches and for writing: “fascist tendencies NEED to end NOW!” in a letter to the Peterborough Telegraph.

The public gallery was shut for safety reasons due to police advice. It has now reopened.

The complaint against Cllr Fower was independently investigated and he was asked if he would agree to a written apology and data protection training. However, this has been rejected, so a public hearing will now be arranged.

The cost of the investigation was £1,762.50, excluding VAT and expenses, at a cost of £75 an hour. There will now be another cost for the investigator to present his findings.

Cllr Fower rejected wrongdoing and said the cost of the investigation was “disgusting”, adding: “Some senior councillors don’t like being held to account. I do not intend to apologise and will continue to hold the oligarchy that controls the council to account.”

A council spokesman said: “We take any complaints seriously and it is vital any matter of this nature is dealt with via an independent process.”