A standards investigation hearing into a Brightlingsea town councillor’s use of social media was abandoned because he resigned before it could be concluded.
In November 2024, a member of the public complained that Mat Court’s social media posts may have broken the Members’ Code of Conduct.
An investigation by Tendring District Council’s (TDC) monitoring officer, who oversees town and parish councillor standards, found evidence of potential breaches of the code – specifically relating to respect, bringing the office into disrepute, and misuse of position.
In January this year, Mr Court resigned from the town council, stating on his own Facebook page that he was the subject of a code of conduct allegation. This was a few weeks before TDC’s Town and Parish Councils’ Standards Sub-Committee was due to meet to decide on the allegation, details of which have not been released.
As a result of the resignation, the sub-committee said Mr Court was no longer bound by the code and a hearing was not required. It has made no determination as to whether or not the code was breached.
The sub-committee has now reminded all councillors to be aware of their responsibilies in relation to the use of social media – and said that some town and parish councils need to take ownership of the issue and adopt their own policies.
Sub-committee chairman Dan Casey said: “While this particular case did not proceed to a hearing, it has highlighted the challenges that social media can present for councillors at all levels of local government.”
He added: “The committee noted that social media can raise complex issues for those holding public office, balancing the right to freedom of expression with the need to maintain high standards of conduct and public confidence in local democracy.
“Our focus is on advising town and parish councils to maintain high standards of conduct by ensuring their councillors are properly equipped with clear and current guidance when engaging online in their role as elected representatives.”
Following a debate, the sub-committee agreed a series of recommendations aimed at helping town and parish councils to support their councillors in maintaining high standards of conduct. These include encouraging councils to provide a more comprehensive education programme on the use of social media with regard to the Members’ Code of Conduct.
In a statement, BTC said: “Brightlingsea Town Council recently issued its new Information Technology Policy and is carefully reviewing this against the report to identify opportunities to strengthen and refine the policy and its use of social media. This work will ensure that future communications are both effective and fully aligned with the Local Government Association’s recommended guidance, as well as the policy standards highlighted in the Tendring District Council report.
“The Council remains committed to maintaining transparent, responsible and professional communication with residents while ensuring full compliance with recognised best practice.”
• Mat Court responded: “As the article states, no determination was made because I had resigned before the matter reached a hearing. With hindsight, I regret not fully appreciating that resigning would mean I would not have the opportunity to present my case in front of the Sub-Committee. After a 14 month investigation, I had been very much looking forward to addressing the committee directly, but I did not realise that resigning would bring the process to an end before that could happen.
I would have welcomed the chance to explain the realities of serving in a small town, where personal and public roles are often blurred simply because everyone knows each other.
I am pleased that there was no finding of harassment. In relation to the other suggested breaches, I firmly reject the suggestion that I brought the role into disrepute or misused my position; there was certainly no personal gain.
Social media presents challenges for anyone in public life. Clear guidance and proportionate standards are important, but so too is the ability for councillors to speak openly and robustly on behalf of their communities, and to respond publicly where inaccurate information is circulating. I think that in a modern communications environment, issues that arise in public are often best addressed in public.”
