5 March (Part 1) - Nick Hollier the joker
Mr. Nick
Hollier has written to Mick Barnbrook with another attempt to close down the correspondence about
councillor Cheryl Bacon. If he thinks it is
the last he will hear of it I fear he is going to be a very disappointed man.
His letter was written after a number of
councillors had confirmed in writing
that the excuses attributed to Cheryl Bacon for excluding the public, which Akin Alabi,
Nick Hollier, Will Tuckley and Lynn Tyler all backed, was one huge lie. It may
have duped more than half a million pounds worth of Bexley’s top brains but they cannot
find a witness who can back her story. Why is that? Because
Cheryl Bacon’s
supposed unsigned
statement was nothing but a big long lie.
In the light of several councillors’ contrary statements just before Nick Hollier wrote his letter, some of
you may find the way he digs himself further into the mire amusing…
Dear Mr. Barnbrook,
Thank you for your email received on 3 February 2014 providing details of your
complaint. I understand from your email that your complaint is that
Mr. Alabi failed to properly investigate, at the review stage, the conduct of
Councillor Cheryl Bacon on 19th June 2013 at a Public Realm Meeting.
The conduct of Councillor Bacon was the subject of a complaint by you under the
Members’ Code of Conduct. Mrs. Tyler provided a response to your complaint
on 23rd August 2013 and Mr. Alabi has undertaken a review of that response.
Mr. Alabi wrote to you on 10th February confirming that, having undertaken a
review, he has concluded that there was no breach of the Code of Conduct.
You will be aware that there is no further right of appeal or review of Mr. Alabi’s
decision under the procedure for considering complaints against Members
in relation to the Members’ Code of Conduct and it is not be (sic) appropriate for the
complaints procedure to be used to re-examine the substantive issues.
I reject your complaint as being outside the scope of the Council’s Complaints
Procedure because the issues fall under the procedure for considering complaints
under the Members’ Code of Conduct.
Mr. Alabi’s letter of 10th February specifically states that he and the
Independent Person, Ms. Sandhu, had concluded that it was not necessary to
interview any other person. It is clear that the issue of whether
Councillor Slaughter should be interviewed was considered as part of Mr. Alabi’s
review and I see no basis for any complaint, even if it were appropriate to
pursue this matter under the Council’s Complaint Procedure. I am also
satisfied that Mr. Alabi has conducted a diligent, thorough and competent review.
The circumstances giving rise to this correspondence took place in June 2013 and
have been the subject of extensive correspondence, meetings and discussion.
I do not consider that it is reasonable for the Council to be required to enter
into any further correspondence or to expend further resources in relation to these matters.
Yours sincerely
Nick Hollier
Deputy Director HR and Corporate Support
I suspect that Mick Barnbrook will see that as further evidence of Hollier’s Misconduct in Public Office
and add his letter to his file for the police; but I suppose there is still time
for Bexley council to admit the truth.
Index to related blogs and documents.
Note: Councillor June Slaughter was singled out by
Mr. Barnbrook because she was the councillor closest to members of the public and had the best view.