Two Bristol city councillors under investigation

Two Bristol councillors are being investigated after City Hall bosses were likened to Nazis and “liars” at a feisty public meeting.

Tory councillor Richard Eddy and Lib Dem councillor Gary Hopkins clashed with senior managers at a human resources committee in February 2021 over plans to transfer about 200 city council staff in cleaning and security services to Bristol Waste.

Councillor Eddy accused the top officers who tried to justify the move as being “worthy of Dr Goebbels and the Third Reich”, referring to Nazi minister of propaganda Joseph Goebbels, while councillor Hopkins said: “I don’t believe a word of what has been presented to us by the management side.”

Now a formal complaint has been lodged by managers.

Both opposition members vehemently deny any wrongdoing or breaking the councillors’ code of conduct.

A video of the meeting has been removed from the authority’s YouTube channel but the Local Democracy Reporting Service has a complete transcript from covering it at the time.

Bristol City Council director of workforce and change John Walsh told the committee: “Everything I’ve said is correct, and then being called a liar, I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer it.

“My background is very much looking after staff and workers and I wouldn’t do anything if I felt staff weren’t going to be treated properly. All I can do is assure you. If I’m a liar, I’m a liar, but I don’t think I am.”

Councillor Eddy replied: “Can I assure John I have the utmost respect for you but I don’t think any member was making the sort of allegations against you which you said,” adding that employees affected by the transfer had contacted him contradicting management’s version of events.

The other officer who presented the authority’s case to transfer the staff – against the wishes of unions – was head of facilities management David Martin, while head of HR Mark Williams was also present.

It is understood the authority’s legal services are now investigating.

Councillor Eddy is under investigation. Photo: Bristol City Council

Speaking about the inquiry, councillor Eddy said: “Obviously, I cannot comment on the nature of the complaint, as the investigation is currently under way, but I can confirm that I have been the subject of a complaint under the members’ code of conduct.

“I refute utterly any wrongdoing. However, I am particularly surprised to receive a complaint from senior officers with telephone-digit salaries with reference to my attempt to defend the interests of some of the council’s hardest-working and poorest-paid staff at the HR committee in February.

“The bizarre timing is also a concern of mine. No complaint was made in the month following the committee and the transfer decision made by cabinet on March 18, which could have been construed as rocking the boat.

“Strangely, the managers have waited until afterwards and the run-up to the local elections to lodge their complaint.”

Councillor Hopkins said: “Not long after the ‘Goebbels’ remark I said I wouldn’t have used quite those words and that I didn’t believe what had been said by management.

“Then John Walsh said he thought it was appalling he was called a liar. I did not use the word ‘liar’, in fact I was careful not to, and I don’t think anyone else did either.

“It is possible to not believe somebody on the grounds that they may have deluded themselves into believing something that isn’t true, without that making them a liar.

“I thought it was outrageous that John Walsh said publicly that the unions had walked out of talks and yet he was still insisting that all the staff were very happy about the transfer to Bristol Waste, which was clearly not the case.

“It wasn’t believable, and that’s the point. I and other members of the HR committee have been doing our jobs and asking questions but I’m afraid that one or two officers just don’t like that.

“If you ask questions about sensitive areas, they want to cover it up and it is quite appalling they try to shut down questioning.”

Councillor Hopkins is leader of the Bristol Lib Dem Group. Photo: Bristol Lib Dem Group

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said all complaints were treated confidentially so they could not comment further.

Councillors Hopkins and Eddy were the subject of a formal complaint alleging a breach of confidential information three-and-a-half years ago following the controversial departure of former chief executive Anna Klonowski, who received £98,000 that was later deemed not to have been contractually necessary.

The pair were cleared of the complaint, made by current Labour cabinet member councillor Kye Dudd, following an independent outside investigation, while councillor Dudd was cleared of a counter-complaint.

Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.

Main photo: Bristol City Council

Read more: Asher Craig: ‘Avalanche of hate mail was a tipping point’