A member of the public who asked about councillors’ expenses at a town hall meeting last year is due to return to the fray to seek an apology.
Laura King, a member of the Friends of Brighton and Hove Citizens’ Action Group, said that “members of the public had raised concerns only to be booed, hissed at and shut down”.
On Thursday (21 July) she is expected to ask the Green leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Phélim Mac Cafferty, more questions.
Ms King is understood to be preparing to ask whether Councillor Mac Cafferty would apologise after it was found that his fellow Green councillor, former mayor Alex Phillips, had overclaimed for childcare.
The campaigner is also understood to be asking if the leader would apologise for his administration’s behaviour when they booed and hissed at members of the public.
But although the council initially rebuffed questions about members’ expenses, some months later it was persuaded to conduct an internal audit.
The findings are due to be shared with the full council at its meeting on Thursday at Hove Town Hall.
They were previously reported to the council’s Audit and Standards Committee three weeks ago, also at a meeting at the town hall.
The council’s counter-fraud audit manager Simon White told councillors that there was “no indication” of deception by Councillor Phillips. He said that receipts were provided for childcare “at a later date”.
But unclear rules meant that the outcome of an investigation into Councillor Phillips’s expenses found that she may have been overpaid £143 – or as much as £482.
During the 2019-2020 mayoral year, part of which she also spent as an MEP (Member of the European Parliament), she claimed £1,788 “dependents allowance”, or about £34 a week, and for 2020-21 she claimed £1,458.
Councillors can claim an hour’s travel time to and from meetings, but it was unclear whether this meant an hour before and after – or just an hour in total.
Councillor Phillips also claimed for pre-booked childcare in Brighton and Hove while she attended meetings remotely from France during the first coronavirus lockdown in March and April 2020.
She has paid the council back £490 “on account” until it is clear exactly how much she ought to repay.
During discussions last month about the audit, the expenses process was described as “slapdash” by Conservative councillor Garry Peltzer Dunn.
Another Conservative councillor, Anne Meadows, told the same meeting: “Councillor Phillips has been overpaid. That is clear. It’s very nicely put but what I believe is that she knew what she was claiming for and how and why.
“It was deliberate and calculated. That is the definition of fraud.”
The claim drew a rebuke as the usually even-tempered committee became heated and marked by recriminations.
The full council meeting is due to start at 4.30pm on Thursday at Hove Town Hall and is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
It’s fraud isn’t it.
The Green Party are populated by an awful lot of intolerant and thuggish individuals. Given their behaviour in Brighton I am astonished they can masquerade as a progressive party. They are really are very unpleasant bunch of dogmatic bigoted bullies.
Yes, quite so!
Why are the media in this city obsessed with giving Laura King and her so called residents group the time of day?
At least she, the Conservatives and Independents such as Anne Meadows, is trying to hold Green councillors to account.
Unlike the Labour Party who are our official opposition, but seem to lamely support everything they do as a result of the secret Labour-Green coalition agreement.
Good point, well said
Anne Meadows should not bash the Greens she might end up jumping ship again and they are the only ones left
Lewis Searle
Because she has a very valid point to make and is standing up for the citizens of this city.
As tax payers we should be questioning what the council is spending money on.
Very professional attitude booing and hissing at members of the public and shutting them down.
You may think that is acceptable behaviour but to me and others, shows a complete lack of respect.
Phelim and his ship of fools have form on this. I remember when I called him and his former lackey Ollie out for blatant discrimination ( you saw the email Frank ) at a meeting of full council. I was jeered and hissed at but I rather enjoyed it because it meant I had got under their skin. They hate the truth.
Phelim should not just apologise but resign. He is completely unsuited to public service and far too brittle. I remember his electrifying reaction when he, Jason Kitcat and Caroline Lucas were jostled and abused by striking bin persons. Phelim is the Boris Johnson of the Green Party. 🤣
The Green council is quite simply not fit for purpose, and highly dysfunctional