Stepping Back: A Change of Focus

After considerable reflection over the last few weeks, I notified my party leader last week that I've decided to step back from my committee roles on Audit and Standards and the Police and Crime Panel for Stroud District Council (SDC) at this time.

This was not a decision taken lightly, especially as just last month I was unanimously voted to serve again on the Police & Crime Panel by my peers. However, recent events have led me to conclude that the current environment for scrutinising and challenging the Constabulary through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) is not conducive to the kind of transparent accountability I believe is necessary.

How We Got Here
The sequence of events began back in March with a report I wrote regarding a Police & Crime Panel meeting. The OPCC complained about my reporting style following that public meeting. The complaint was referred to Gloucestershire County Council's Monitoring Officer (GCC MO).

The matter was handled fairly. I met with the GCC MO in person. We discussed the context, and I committed to tightening my reporting style in the future. The SDC MO confirmed they had nothing further to add. I understood the matter to be resolved with no further action. I was just doing my job; I'd moved on.

A couple of months later, when it came to SDC publishing my report, however, I was asked to remove the record of the OPCC complaint. I felt this would create a misleading public record. When I declined to accept the SDC MO's amendments, my report was withheld from the committee agenda entirely. Instead, what was presented to members was effectively a blank report from the SDC MO.

I now believe that an administrative error relating to the member question submission deadline (the published agenda stating Friday instead of the Monday deadline specified in Standing Order 9.2.1) may have constituted maladministration by SDC, effectively preventing me from formally questioning this decision at the Community Services committee which I report to.

The Principle
The original OPCC complaint concerned my grammar and reporting style. It was, by any measure, a minor matter. The outcome was to withhold an elected member's scrutiny report in its entirety, which was significantly disproportionate to the issue at hand.

This matters because it sets a precedent. If officer discomfort with a councillor's writing style can lead to that councillor's work being removed from the official record, the scrutiny function is diminished. The public record becomes incomplete, and the ability of elected members to hold power to account is constrained.

Moving Forward
I have also needed to consider my recent health issues, including a heart attack, and I must be mindful of how I direct my energy. The stress of navigating these kinds of procedural disputes (and this isn't the first such instance) is something I need to avoid.

My focus now has to shift to where I believe I can be most effective. I will continue directly serving the residents of Wotton, North Nibley, and Stinchcombe through casework and attending full council meetings for the rest of my term (cllr.gareth.kitchen@stroud.gov.uk or +44 7396 840710). I remain fully committed to that role and to my other volunteer work, which I enjoy. I may revisit my involvement in committee work in the future if the environment changes, but for now, this is the right decision for me.

I thank my colleagues for their support and understanding.

Cllr Gareth Kitchen
Wotton, North Nibley and Stinchcombe