Kent County Council’s Standards Committee considered figures showing 122 complaints were lodged against elected members between May 2025 and August 2026, with member-on-member complaints accounting for four in ten of the total.
Kent County Council’s Standards Committee met on 29 September 2026 to consider an update on conduct complaints against elected members, covering the 15-month period from 6 May 2025 to 31 August 2026.
Scale and pattern of complaints
A report by the Monitoring Officer, Petra Der Man, said that 122 individual complaints had been received over the period — an average of approximately eight per month. October 2025 recorded the single highest monthly total, at 18 complaints.
Of the 122 complaints, 49 (40%) were made by elected members against other elected members, with the remaining 73 (60%) coming from members of the public or other non-member complainants. The Monitoring Officer noted that this 40% member-on-member proportion was unchanged from the figure reported to the committee’s previous meeting in April 2026.
The three main themes driving complaints were: comments made by members on social media; behaviour in, and comments made during, formal council meetings; and use of council resources. The report noted that a single complaint can contain more than one component or theme.
Most complaints closed informally
As at 31 August 2026, 116 of the 122 complaints (95%) had been closed or resolved informally. Six complaints (5%) remained under review at that date. According to the minutes of the committee’s April 2026 meeting, members were then told that approximately 95% of complaints were closed or resolved informally, a figure consistent with the latest data.
The April minutes also record that informal resolution could include a phone call or email to the member concerned, sometimes resulting in an apology, and that politically driven, trivial or repetitive complaints would not be accepted.
Training and guidance introduced
Since the April 2026 meeting, guidance had been prepared on social media use in the member role and on declaring gifts and hospitality. Member development sessions covering the Nolan Principles, confidentiality responsibilities, and the complaints process had been offered to all members, with recordings to be made available via SharePoint.
The report also noted that recruitment of a second Independent Person was under review, and that reciprocal arrangements with Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority remained in place. The April minutes record that the existing Independent Person, Michael Turner, is co-opted, independent of the council and its members, and not full-time, and that his remuneration of £700 a year is publicly recorded.
Committee asked to consider further action
Officers asked the committee to discuss the report and make recommendations on further actions that could be taken to reduce the number of member complaints.
The council had not published the minutes of the meeting at the time of writing, so the committee’s decision is not yet on the public record.