The councillor who was in line to become Brightlingsea’s next mayor has said he won’t accept the nomination after being reported for a code of conduct breach.
The allegation against Mat Court, currently Brightlingsea Town Council’s deputy mayor, relates to a Facebook conversation and is being investigated by the compliance officer at Tendring District Council (TDC). The officer has responsibility for town and parish councillor conduct in the district, as well as council governance.
Co-opted to the council in June 2021, Mr Court told Brightlingsea Info that following the complaint, he had provided TDC with a evidence and a full response. “I firmly believe I’ve done nothing wrong. That said, I have to acknowledge the possibility that the outcome may not be what I hope for,” he said.
Mr Court said that because of the uncertainty he’d taken the “difficult decision” not to accept the traditional nomination for the deputy mayor to take over as mayor in May. “Serving as mayor of Brightlingsea is something I’ve aspired to; it would be a real honour to represent the town in that capacity. However, having worked with others to enhance the town council’s reputation over the past couple of years, my priority has to be ensuring the council isn’t placed in a difficult position if the investigation outcome isn’t in my favour.”
Though he said that he intended to carry on as a councillor, Mr Court admitted that: “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t reflected on things and questioned whether it’s worth the hassle. I am, however, grateful for the backing I’ve received from some of my town councillor colleagues.”
He added: “Regardless of how things unfold, serving Brightlingsea will always be something I care deeply about, and I’ll continue to consider the best way I can contribute to the town going forward.”
A TDC spokeman said: “Under our complaints procedure for the Members’ Code of Conduct, we keep any complaints confidential while they are progressing.”
