(A)  Comments made by Cllr Slator

The following motion was moved by Councillor Kathy Bance MBE and seconded by Councillor Simon Jeal:

“On 31 December 2022 Councillor Shaun Slator tweeted "more likely that it's a punter that didn't pay" in response to a news article entitled "Woman raped in Plumstead park in early hours".

The Council considers this comment to be misogynistic and perpetuates a negative perception of rape victims.

The Council's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy sets out the support services provided to victims of sexual violence. Such comments by an elected member of the Council undermine it and risks victims of rape feeling unable to access such services if they feel the Council's representatives are prejudiced against them. 

While the Council's Monitoring Officer and the Independent Person have concluded that the Councillors' Code of Conduct is not engaged and therefore under the relevant legal requirements no Standard Committee investigation can take place, this Council unequivocally condemns Cllr Slator's comments and considers they are unacceptable for a member of this Council to have made.

On 31 December 2022 Councillor Shaun Slator tweeted “more likely that it’s a punter that didn’t pay “ in response to a news article entitled “Woman raped in Plumstead park in early hours.”

While the Council’s Monitoring Officer and the Independent Person have concluded that the Councillors’ Code of Conduct is not engaged and therefore under the relevant legal requirements no Standards Committee investigation can take place, this Council unequivocally condemns Cllr Slator’s comments and considers that they are unacceptable for a member of this Council to have made.

It also be noted that Cllr Slator was suspended from the Conservative Group on Bromley Council on 5^th January 2023 for said comments, and will remain thus, until such time as he attends Full Council to make an unreserved apology for his actions including an undertaking not to repeat similar assertions in future and also attend appropriate training or voluntary work, as deemed appropriate by the Administration.”

The following amended version of the motion was moved by Councillor Colin Smith and seconded by Councillor Michael Tickner –

“On 31 December 2022 Councillor Shaun Slator tweeted “more likely that it’s a punter that didn’t pay” in response to a news article entitled “Woman raped in Plumstead park in early hours.”

While the Council’s Monitoring Officer and the Independent Person have concluded that the Councillors Code of Conduct is not engaged and therefore under the relevant legal requirements no Standards Committee investigation can take place, this Council unequivocally condemns Cllr Slator’s comments and considers they are unacceptable for a member of this Council to have made.

It also be noted that Cllr Slator was suspended from the Conservative Group on Bromley Council on 5^th January 2023 for said comments, and will remain thus, until such time as he attends Full Council to make an unreserved apology for his actions, including an undertaking not to repeat similar assertions in future and also attend appropriate training or voluntary work, as deemed appropriate by the Administration.” 

The following members voted in favour of the amendment:

Councillors Jonathan Andrews, Felicity Bainbridge, Yvonne Bear, Kim Botting, Mike Botting, Mark Brock, David Cartwright, Aisha Cuthbert, Peter Dean,  Robert Evans, Simon Fawthrop, Kira Gabbert, Adam Grant, Sunil Gupta, Christine Harris, Mike Jack, David Jefferys, Charles Joel, Jonathan Laidlaw, Andrew Lee, Kate Lymer, Christopher Marlow, Alexa Michael, Keith Onslow, Tony Owen, Angela Page, Will Rowlands, Shaun Slator, Colin Smith, Diane Smith, Harry Stranger, Michael Tickner, Pauline Tunnicliffe and Thomas Turrell (34)

The following members voted against the amendment:

Councillors Jeremy Adams, Jessica Arnold, Kathy Bance, Graham Casey, Will Connolly, Sophie Dunbar, Alisa Igoe, Julie Ireland, Simon Jeal, Kevin Kennedy-Brooks, Josh King, Ruth McGregor, Tony McPartlan, Chris Price, Chloe-Jane Ross, Ryan Thomson, and Rebecca Wiffen (17)

The following members abstained:

Councillors Nicholas Bennett, Hannah Gray, Mark Smith, Alison Stammers, Melanie Stevens and Sam Webber (6)

The amendment was CARRIED.

The following Members voted for the substantive motion:

Councillors Jonathan Andrews, Felicity Bainbridge, Yvonne Bear, Nicholas Bennett, Kim Botting, Mike Botting, Mark Brock, David Cartwright, Aisha Cuthbert, Peter Dean,  Robert Evans, Simon Fawthrop, Kira Gabbert, Adam Grant, Sunil Gupta, Christine Harris, Mike Jack, David Jefferys, Charles Joel, Jonathan Laidlaw, Andrew Lee, Kate Lymer, Christopher Marlow, Alexa Michael, Keith Onslow, Tony Owen, Angela Page, Will Rowlands, Shaun Slator, Colin Smith, Diane Smith, Mark Smith, Melanie Stevens, Harry Stranger, Michael Tickner, Pauline Tunnicliffe and Thomas Turrell (37)

The following members voted against the substantive motion:

Councillors Jeremy Adams, Jessica Arnold, Kathy Bance, Graham Casey, Will Connolly, Sophie Dunbar, Alisa Igoe, Julie Ireland, Simon Jeal, Kevin Kennedy-Brooks, Josh King, Ruth McGregor, Tony McPartlan, Chris Price, Chloe-Jane Ross, Ryan Thomson, Sam Webber and Rebecca Wiffen (18)

The following members abstained:

Councillors Hannah Gray and Alison Stammers (2)

The substantive motion was CARRIED.

(B)  ULEZ

The following motion (as altered) was moved by Cllr Nicholas Bennett and seconded by Cllr  Aisha Cuthbert:

“This Council supports the action taken by the Leader and the Executive Member for Transport, Highways and Road Safety in not approving the erection of cameras and signs on Bromley roads and the commissioning, with other London and county local councils, of counsel’s opinion on the legality of Mayor Khan’s proposals to extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to outer London.

Council notes the thoroughly misleading statements by Mayor Khan in reference to Bromley’s air quality, which is amongst the best in London.

Council further notes the recent revelations, following a Freedom of Information request, by City Hall Conservatives, which showed that contrary to Sadiq Kahn’s assurances.

·  His senior officers and deputy Mayor for Transport were receiving weekly updates on the progress of the consultation and the voting;

·  that he employed a social marketing company, at public expense, to target those most likely to be in favour of ULEZ to boost the ‘Yes’ vote;

·  having seen how the vote was progressing then disallowed more than 5000 votes against ULEZ

·  despite this more than 59% of respondents were opposed to the imposition of the Zone on outer London.

Council congratulates our local London Assembly Member Peter Fortune AM on his diligent research and forensic examination of Mayor Khan to expose the manipulation of the consultation.”

This Council reiterates its opposition to the imposition of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone on Bromley as it will have a serious impact on the self-employed, small businesses which rely on their vehicles to conduct their trade and on elderly residents and others on fixed incomes. The imposition of a daily charge to drive in the borough will be an additional financial burden and, for many, without the means purchase a compliant vehicle, it will mean they can no longer trade or afford to drive. The extension of the ULEZ charge on motorists, including those entering Bromley from neighbouring counties will also be detrimental, especially for those like nurses, police officers, supermarket shelf fillers and others working unsocial hours when public transport is not available.

This Council therefore requests the Leader and the Executive to continue to oppose the Mayor's ULEZ decision, challenge it by way of legal action and agree funding in the region of £140k to be met from the Council’s 2022/23 Central Contingency Sum.  

The following Members voted for the motion:

Councillors Jonathan Andrews, Felicity Bainbridge, Yvonne Bear, Nicholas Bennett, Kim Botting, Mike Botting, Mark Brock, David Cartwright, Aisha Cuthbert, Peter Dean,  Robert Evans, Simon Fawthrop, Kira Gabbert, Adam Grant, Sunil Gupta, Christine Harris, Mike Jack, David Jefferys, Charles Joel, Jonathan Laidlaw, Andrew Lee, Kate Lymer, Christopher Marlow, Alexa Michael, Keith Onslow, Tony Owen, Angela Page, Will Rowlands, Shaun Slator, Colin Smith, Diane Smith, Mark Smith, Alison Stammers, Melanie Stevens, Harry Stranger, Michael Tickner, Pauline Tunnicliffe and Thomas Turrell (38)

The following members voted against the motion:

Councillors Jeremy Adams, Jessica Arnold, Kathy Bance, Graham Casey, Will Connolly, Sophie Dunbar, Alisa Igoe, Julie Ireland, Simon Jeal, Kevin Kennedy-Brooks, Josh King, Ruth McGregor, Tony McPartlan, Chris Price, Chloe-Jane Ross, Ryan Thomson, Sam Webber and Rebecca Wiffen (18)

The following member abstained:

Councillor Hannah Gray (1)

The motion was CARRIED.