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NEW COMPLAINTS OVER STANDARDS

By Clare Wall - Thursday, March 27, 2008
TWO more senior councillors have been added to the list of those reported to the Standards Board For England.
Cllrs Alan Wells and Margaret Webster were reported to the board over a debate at a full meeting of the IW Council on February 20, on the consultation process on education reforms.
A spokesman for the board confirmed two complaints had been made about Cllr Webster, ward member for East Cowes, with one rejected by the board and the other referred for investigation.
Four complaints were made over Cllr Wells, Cab-inet member for children and young people, with three rejected and one referred for investigation.
It is alleged both councillors, who have relatives in the school system either as students or staff, failed to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest at the meeting, although both strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
Cllr Wells said: “The complainant says I did not declare a personal or prejudicial interest, which I do not believe I should have done. I took professional advice. We were not discussing the schools reorganisation or any specific school closure. We were discussing the public consultation.”
Cllr Webster echoed Cllr Wells’s comments, adding: “I don’t feel I have done anything wrong. The debate did not relate to any particular school.”