More than 320 complaints lodged against South Tyneside councillors in five years
South Tyneside councillors are being urged to take firmer steps to tackle poor behaviour among elected members.
Professor Grahame Wright, the Independent Chair of the Standards Committee, has called for stronger action on councillor conduct in his fifth and concluding report.
The report offers a candid assessment of ethical governance across South Tyneside, highlighting a persistently high number of complaints, involving a small number of councillors.
It covers from August 2024 to August 2025 but makes observations covering the period of his Chairmanship from February 2018 and it will be presented to the full Council on October 23.
Professor Wright said: “The volume and nature of complaints received over the past year - and indeed across my tenure - suggest that there is a clear need for better training, and a renewed commitment to the principles of public life by some elected members.
“The vast majority of councillors however, from both sides of the chamber, do serve their community diligently, with hard work, and in a manner of which they and the community can be proud.”
South Tyneside Council has stated that the key findings from the report include:
- 328 Code of Conduct complaints have been received since January 2020 - with 24 cases still open as of September 2025.
- Nine formal hearings have taken place since 2020, with eight resulting in the complaints being upheld in whole or in part. Sanctions imposed as a result of these hearings included written censures, restrictions on email access, and removal from committees.
- South Tyneside Council has faced criticism for delays in investigations, which have often been attributed to subject members failing to respond in a timely manner, delays in securing evidence from complainants, the involvement of other agencies (for example, the police), and the availability of investigative officer time.
The Standards Committee, which was established in 2012, plays a key role in monitoring corporate complaints (complaints about the services provided to residents), the Council’s application of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), and promoting high standards of ethical behaviour among elected members.
It also ensures robust training for South Tyneside’s councillors and maintains the Council’s whistleblowing policy.
The latest report will be Professor Wright’s last before he stands down in May 2026 and he has used it to highlight significant progress in complaint handling, member training, and openness of process, while also identifying areas for continued improvement.
Two key areas he has recommended for improvement include mandatory refresher training for all councillors, as well as a review of sanctions and enforcement mechanisms subject to the results of a government review.
The report has also warned of the ‘weaponisation’ of the complaints process and has called out councillors who publicly ignore or undermine the legitimacy of sanctions.
Professor Wright added: “Ultimately the ethical standards of South Tyneside Borough Council are dependent on our individual standards of behaviour, what we aspire to, and what kind of behaviour we are willing to tolerate.
“Whilst ‘the democratic process’ is necessarily confrontational, argumentative, and possibly divisive; for our community to advance, democracy requires civility in the relations between all participants and their supporters.
“We can all benefit from applying the maxim: ‘disagree agreeably’!”
Ahead of the report going before the full Council, Professor Wright has called for all councillors to uphold the Nolan Principles and the Council’s Code of Conduct, reduce unnecessary complaints, and foster a culture of civility and respect.