THE FORMER leader of Tameside Council is ready to dispute what was presented as facts about her role in the Trigger Me Timbers WhatsApp scandal.
Cllr Brenda Warrington faced a standards sub-committee hearing on Monday, February 2 as it decides whether breaches of the code of conduct were made.
A report by independent investigator Linda Comstive has concluded she and five others – Cllrs Jack Naylor, George Newton, George Jones and Allison Gwynne, along with now former representative Claire Reid – did break the rules.
However, Cllr Warrington is set to give her side of the story as the hearing goes into a second day.
She told the four-Councillor panel when asked if she disputes any of the facts: “Yes, I do.”
Cllr Warrington also told how she has a ‘presentation’ ready to submit as evidence, but time constraints meant that could not be heard until Tuesday, February 3.
She added: “I’m not saying that this will be in any particular order, and I will confide any comments I make to comments made particularly about me.”
The Denton West representative, who was leader of Tameside Council when the group was established in January 2019, was the only one of the six to face the panel.
Three Labour members – Cllrs Jackie Lane, Betty Affleck and chair Joe Kitchen – were joined by Conservative Cllr Doreen Dickinson.
Another former leader, Cllr Ged Cooney, looked on from the public gallery, along with several Labour members.
A Labour Party investigation saw Cllr Warrington given a formal warning.
And Ms Comstive’s report detailed how she took part in comments about Cllr Vimal Choksi after he received an MBE in 2021.
The report finds Andrew Gwynne MP, sacked as public health minister following the group’s revelation and who is now standing down in the Gorton and Denton constituency, wrote on June 11 that year: “F g Vimal has an MBE for services as a Cllr!!!”to which Cllr Newton replied: “your joking…Jammy b d haaha” and Cllr Naylor added: “F g VIMAL??????!!!!”
Cllr Warrington is said to have penned: “Pleased about… she really deserves it. But Vimal????????…It’s all those litter picks…How many litter picks does it take to get an MBE?”
Ms Comstive found her to have breached the code on three grounds – failing to show respect to various members of the public, having conduct that could reasonably be regarded as bringing her office and the council into disrepute and misusing council resources.
Her report found she could not recall anything about being on the Standards Committee of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, a post she held for more than three years.
Cllr Warrington was also told to have insisted in interview: “The responsibility for the offence lies with those persons who, for malicious reasons chose to leak the chat to the press.”
According to the report, she added: “It was never my intention to offend anyone, and I apologise for any comments I may have made in the chat that has resulted in upset.”
However, it adds: “She offered no apology.”
At the hearing, Ms Comstive said: “The case is very serious and has involved a huge amount of evidence.
“The fact it was leaked doesn’t diminish a breach of the code. The code of conduct is a personal duty.
“It’s a question of actuality rather than appearance.
“In a nutshell, it’s about the chats in Trigger Me Timbers and the leak to the public, because there is public interest in who was involved in that.
“It became public information and is covered by the code.”
The other five members facing the earing have all submitted written statements in response to Ms Comstive’s findings, which were supported by independent person Mirriam Lawton.
Her statement said: “Based on the information provided in the comprehensive report, I believe the investigator’s evidence, findings and conclusions sufficiently demonstrate that all six members involved have, to varying degrees, breached as individuals elements of the code of conduct.
“Particularly in relation to matters of leadership and accountability.”
Cllr Warrington will state her case on Tuesday, February 3, when the findings of the panel will be made and, if guilty, any sanctions handed down.
The hearing continues.