Decision – Member Champion for Culture

(i)           
that Councillor Maddison be removed from the position of Member
Champion for Culture; and

(ii)         
that the Leader of the Council asks all Members for expressions of
interest in undertaking the role.

To acknowledge and
respond to the recommendation of the Standards Hearing
Sub-Committee held on 11 February 2025. 
In recognition of Councillor Maddison’s behaviour at Council
on 27 February 2025, the Cabinet considers removal from the
position of Member Champion for Culture to be the most appropriate
course of action.

An alternative option
would have been to suspend Councillor Maddison from the position of
Member Champion for Culture in accordance with the recommendation
of the Standards Hearing Sub-Committee, however, in light of
Councillor Maddison’s behaviour at Council on 27 February
2025, the Cabinet discounted this option.

This decision will
come into force and may be implemented on 4 April 2025 unless the
call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in the Standing Orders
in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

Member Champions are
elected members who act as an advocate or spokesperson for a
specific area of the Council’s business.  The main responsibility of each Member Champion is
to encourage communication and positive action over the issue they
represent.

At the Cabinet meeting
on 19 September 2023, the Cabinet appointed Councillor Maddison as
the Member Champion to champion key aspects of the Council’s
work in respect of Culture.

Subsequently, on 11
February 2025 the Standards Hearing Sub-Committee considered a
complaint that Councillor Maddison had breached the Code of Conduct
for Members.  In their determination,
the Standards Hearing Sub-Committee made a recommendation to the
Leader of the Council in respect of Councillor Maddison’s
appointment as the Member Champion for Culture.

At the Cabinet
meeting, Councillor David Thomas proposed and Councillor Chris
Lewis seconded a motion that was agreed unanimously, as set out
above.