UKIP councillor fails to apologise for jibe

BREACH of code of conduct . . . Councillor Warren Bates

UKIP Councillor Warren Bates will be censured by Oldham Council after a report found him to have bullied and insulted a veteran soldier.

Oldham Council’s standards committee claimed Councillor Bates breached its code of conduct in the way he spoke to 84-year-old John Crompton, chairman of Failsworth Historical Society.

Council Leader Jim McMahon said: “It gives me no pleasure at all to see this on the council agenda.

“He was insulted, intimidated and bullied. We’ve tried to resolve it and nobody wants anything more than an apology. You’ve brought your post into disrepute and you should be thoroughly ashamed.”

When given the opportunity to respond, Councillor Bates refused to comment.

The report relates to a meeting of Failsworth and Hollinwood district executive last July when Councillor Bates had asked “Who are you? You’ve never done anything” in a “loud and aggressive manner” as Mr Crompton asked a question - even though he had known him for many years.

He also wrote a note to a member of the public, which said “Crompton never lifted a finger to defend memorial land” — a reference to a controversy surrounding land near Failsworth Lower Memorial Park.

Mr Crompton, who missed a historical society meeting to be at the full council meeting last night, said: “I don’t expect this from any councillor regardless of who they are.”