Probe into ex-Windsor & Maidenhead leader ignites fiery debate

The subject was brought up during Cllr Geoff Hill’s (TBFI: Oldfield) motion to ensure any court decisions pertaining to the Royal Borough Council are published online in full and all members are aware of this, which was shot down by the ruling Conservatives.

This is related to a redacted report, in which its current form is in the public domain, investigating former council leader Simon Dudley’s infamous speech at the Maidenhead Mosque in April 2019, just days before the local election.

Mr Dudley, who suddenly resigned after May’s election, said to the members of the Mosque that the council was negotiating with the neighbouring Ivy Leaf Club to surrender their lease, which was factually incorrect as talks ceased in September 2018, and should vote Conservative.

At that time, the Mosque was eyeing that piece of land in order to expand.

This led to multiple codes of conduct complaints about Mr Dudley’s behaviour, alleging he used private information he had access to and ‘conspired’ with a senior officer, former acting chief executive Russell O’Keefe, in ‘Purdah’ to mislead a specific community to obtain votes for the Tories.

Mr Dudley could not be probed because he resigned less than a week before the probe. However, the investigator concluded, which was redacted for years, no fault with Mr O’Keefe but did find an electoral ‘advantage’ was likely gained by the Conservatives.

However, it has been a fight for former councillor Claire Stretton and resident Andrew Hill after she asked for the report to be released via Freedom of Information requests in November 2019.

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Initially, the Royal Borough refused as it contained ‘personal data on officers and others interviewed’. A redacted version was later released and saw further redactions were withdrawn until October 2021 when an appeal hearing of the first-tier tribunal ordered for most of the report to be released where the conclusions of the report can be viewed in its entirety.

Some parts of the report remain redacted to protect the identity of junior council officers and others interviewed.

The report in its current state wasn’t released until Cllr Hill put forward his motion a couple of weeks before the full council meeting, which also called for its full release, despite the court order.

Cllr Geoff Hill (Image: RBWM)

Cllr Hill said on Tuesday, January 24, his motion is about “good governance, transparency, and security” arising from the appeal hearing.

He added it “looks appalling in the public eye” that the report was only then published on the council’s website after he tabled his motion.

Council leader Andrew Johnson (Con: Hurley & Walthams), who succeeded Mr Dudley in 2019, insisted “unequivocally” that an incident like what happened in 2019 “will not happen again” under his leadership.

Cllr Johnson, who was not an elected member in April 2019, said: “Good governance, transparency, and secure elections are absolutely paramount.”

He also said there are “significant questions to be answered” that day, to which he alluded to Cllr Gurch Singh (Lib Dem: St Mary’s), who was present at Mr Dudley’s speech when he stood as a Conservative candidate.

Council leader Andrew Johnson (Image: RBWM)

Cllr Johnson said: “I would suggest that if we are going to go back to those days, we need a full, free, and frank discussion as to what was actually said and why there was an additional member, now no longer within my group, present at the Maidenhead Mosque.”

However, opposition leaders Lynne Jones (OWRA: Old Windsor) and Simon Werner (Lib Dem: Pinkneys Green) slammed Cllr Johnson’s comments as a “rant” and called for him to be removed from the chamber.

Cllr Jones also said that his comments had “nothing to do” with the report. A wave of Conservatives shouted that “it did”.

Cllr Hill told Cllr Johnson to “stick with the motion” but was then questioned by the council leader if what was because “it concerned his business partner [Cllr Singh]?”

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Cllr Ross McWilliams (Con: Cox Green), lead member for housing opportunity, said major court decisions are communicated to all members and that this report was in the public domain. He added the motion is “not needed or necessary” in terms of changing the council’s processes.

He also said the council’s finances, culture, and governance have radically changed since the damning Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy report in 2020.

The motion was defeated 21 to 16 – with one abstention. Mr Dudley was contacted for comment.

Rather ironic that despite the fiery political debate, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Independent councillors unanimously agreed upon Cllr Jon Davey’s (Ind: Clewer & Dedworth West) motion for all councillors, candidates, and political activists to treat each other with respect and run a clean campaign during this year’s election period.