The Member Conduct Panel is scheduled to consider an investigation into an alleged breach of the Members' Code of Conduct by Mr Joseph Boam CC. The panel will review the findings of an independent investigation and determine whether Mr Boam CC failed to comply with the council's code.

Investigation into Alleged Breach of Members' Code of Conduct

The panel is scheduled to consider an investigation report concerning an alleged breach of the Members' Code of Conduct by Mr Joseph Boam CC. The report details a complaint made by the former Monitoring Officer of Leicestershire County Council, Fiona McMillan, regarding social media posts made by Mr Boam CC following a Corporate Governance Committee meeting on 24 November 2025.

The complaint alleges that Mr Boam CC published a selectively edited video clip of the former Monitoring Officer's response to a question he had asked, omitting the substantive part of her answer and thereby giving a misleading impression. It is also alleged that Mr Boam CC made a public allegation that the former Monitoring Officer was not impartial.

The investigation report, prepared by Alex Oram and Mark Hedges of ch&i associates, concludes that Mr Boam CC's conduct may have breached paragraphs 2.3.2 (treating council officers with respect) and 2.12 (not compromising the impartiality of officers) of the Council's Members' Code of Conduct. The report also considers the Council's Protocol on Member/Officer Relations and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of expression.

The panel will be invited to reach its own findings of fact on the balance of probabilities, determine whether the Code was engaged, and if so, whether any breach has been established. If a breach is found, the panel will then consider what sanction, if any, is appropriate and proportionate.

Mr Boam CC has fundamentally disputed the investigators' findings and does not accept that he breached the Code. He maintains that his Facebook post concerned a public meeting and a matter of public interest, and that the video was a screen recording of his question and the immediate answer given, without intent to mislead. He also denies failing to treat the former Monitoring Officer with respect or attempting to compromise her impartiality, stating his comments represented genuinely held concerns about the operation of the complaints process made in the context of political debate. Mr Boam CC also submits that insufficient weight has been given to his right to freedom of political expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Independent Person, Richard Gough, has reviewed the investigation report and expressed his view that the matter should be referred for formal investigation, noting concerns about the response to the complaint and a lack of respect for the Code of Conduct. Mr Gough will attend the hearing to advise the panel of his views.

Mr Alex Oram will attend the hearing to present the investigation report and answer questions. The former Monitoring Officer, Fiona McMillan, has been informed of the outcome of the investigation and may attend the hearing if she wishes. The hearing is scheduled to take place in public, with the exception of any parts that may need to be held in private to consider exempt or confidential information.

The report pack, which includes the final investigation report, can be found in the Public reports pack Friday 30-Oct-2026 10.00 Member Conduct Panel. The agenda for the meeting is available in the Agenda frontsheet Friday 30-Oct-2026 10.00 Member Conduct Panel.