The Member Conduct Panel of Leicestershire County Council is scheduled to consider an investigation into an alleged breach of the Members' Code of Conduct by Councillor C. Whitford CC. The panel will review the findings of an external investigation and determine whether any breaches have occurred, and if so, what sanctions may be appropriate.

Investigation into Councillor C. Whitford CC

The panel is scheduled to consider an investigation report concerning allegations made against Councillor C. Whitford CC. The investigation was initiated following complaints received from four members of the public between September and October 2025. These complaints primarily relate to email correspondence between Councillor Whitford CC and local residents regarding the unauthorised hanging of St George's flags on lampposts in the village of Markfield.

The report outlines that the residents raised concerns about the legality, safety, and community impact of the flags, and objected to the tone and content of Councillor Whitford CC's replies. Specific allegations include that his email responses were dismissive, personalised, or confrontational, and did not adequately address residents' concerns. There are also allegations that Councillor Whitford CC referred to the possibility of disclosing a complainant's identity, which was perceived as intimidating, and that a social media post was discriminatory or offensive. Additionally, concerns were raised about whether Councillor Whitford CC had failed to register a directorship in his register of interests, and about the potential use of fake social media accounts commenting on the matter.

The investigation report, prepared by ch&i associates, is scheduled to be presented to the panel. The report's findings suggest that Councillor Whitford CC may have failed to treat members of the public with respect in his email communications, potentially bullied at least one complainant through intimidating communications, and brought his role or the Council into disrepute. The report also notes a potential failure to promote equalities or a risk of undermining equality duties due to inflammatory assertions about religion or faith matters in an official response. A technical breach regarding the registration of a directorship with Appchatz Ltd was also identified, though the investigators recommended no further action on this point.

Councillor Whitford CC has reportedly accepted the findings relating to the email correspondence. The Independent Person, Pamela Roberts, has reviewed the investigation report and considers it to be well-evidenced and reasoned. Mrs Roberts will attend the hearing to advise the panel of her views. The panel will need to decide whether to hold the hearing in public or private, and whether to publish the redacted investigation report. If breaches are found, the panel will consider potential sanctions, which could include a formal letter, censure, restricted access to council resources, a requirement to apologise, or mandatory training.

The meeting documents include the Public reports pack for the Member Conduct Panel, which contains the investigation report and the Independent Person's views. Fiona McMillan, the Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer, is the officer to contact for further information.