Motion calling on Wellingborough's Peter Bone MP to resign on grounds of 'Nolan Principals' rejected by NNC chairman

A motion put forward for the next meeting of North Northants Council (NNC) demanding the resignation of Wellingborough MP Peter Bone will not be discussed by councillors.

The motion was to call on Mr Bone to resign citing the ‘Nolan Principles’ – ethical standards expected of public office holders, including elected officials – but will now remain untabled.

Labour opposition members proposed the motion hoping that the full council could debate it but they have had it rejected saying it was ‘improper’ and not about a matter for which North Northamptonshire has ‘direct responsibility or influence’.

Proposer Cllr Valerie Anslow (Lab, Croyland and Swanspool), who is also mayor of Wellingborough, says she is ‘annoyed’ that councillors have not been given the opportunity to debate.

She said: “As a mayor I have to abide by the principles, as does the MP. If I did something in office I would expect someone to call me out.

"I’m annoyed. There ought to be a debate.”

The Nolan Principles – selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership – were drawn up by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1994.

NNC has adopted the principles in its code of conduct and the motion put forward by Cllr Anslow and seconded by Labour leader Cllr Matt Keane set out those standards.

The motion then said: “This council notes its own member code of conduct states: ‘Everyone in public office at all levels; all who serve the public or deliver public services, including ministers, civil servants, councillors and local authority officers; should uphold the seven principles of public life, also known as the Nolan Principles.’

“This council notes and is disappointed that the local Member of Parliament for Wellingborough, Mr Peter Bone was suspended from the House of Commons for six weeks following findings by an Independent Expert Panel that he bullied, harassed and was sexually inappropriate around a former member of staff.

“This council notes that such behaviour falls short of the standards expected of public officials, as set out in the seven ‘Nolan Principles’ of public life.

“This council therefore calls on the Member of Parliament for Wellingborough, Mr Peter Bone to immediately resign from his role as a Member of Parliament.”

As a result of Mr Bone’s suspension from the House of Commons, a recall petition was triggered – a six-week process that ends on December 19, 2023.

The recall petition has been organised by NNC’s Adele Wylie in her statutory role of monitoring officer for the council. This week it was announced she had selected as the new NNC chief executive.

In response to the proposed motion Cllr Anslow and Cllr Keane (Lab, Corby West) were told they had not been successful.

Ben Smith, NNC head of democratic services, said: “The chair, Cllr Barbara Jenney (Con,Rushden Pemberton West), in consultation with Adele (Wylie) as the monitoring officer, has rejected your motion to full council in the following terms set out below.

“Motions must be about mattersfor which North Northamptonshire has direct responsibility or influence and the chair, following consultation with the monitoring officer, is authorised to reject any motion that appears to the chair or the monitoring officer to be defamatory, frivolous, offensive, vexatious, unlawful orotherwise improper.”

Previous motions accepted and debated by NNC have included support for the people of Ukraine, sustainable farming, HMOs, policing numbers, fox hunting and support for the sisters of murdered Corby schoolgirl Collette Gallagher.

Cllr Anslow said: “Sometimes a motion is about making a point, sometimes it’s about policy or strategy. There are different reasons to put them forward.

"You have got those Nolan Principles and this council seems to be a bit lax in applying them. He’s a local MP and he’s taking up the council’s resources and time. We’re not saying anything new or radical, we just want the council to be strong.”

She added: “Peter Bone is the elephant in the room. They (the Conservatives) are wasting time to put off the inevitable but it’s costing us the taxpayer. NNC’s budget is already down to the wire.”

The decision note added: “A recall petition is currently being undertaken in the Wellingborough constituency. North Northamptonshire Council does not have responsibility for this process or its outcome and it would be improper for the council to be seen to be influencing a live recall petition, when it’s officers, through the work of the Petitions Officer, is involved in the conduct of this petition and the counting/announcement of its outcome.

“For these reasons the chair of the council has, in consultation with the monitoring officer, rejected this motion.”