Witch Hunts for Porn

An independent investigation is to be carried out into four formal complaints concerning the conduct of Bournemouth's council leader. Top shelf adult material was found during a routine service on a council computer Cllr MacLoughlin had used. It has been accepted that this was downloaded outside of working hours.

Conservative councillor Stephen MacLoughlin had hoped to draw a line under his computer misdemeanour after receiving a vote of confidence from his cabinet colleagues and making a public apology in the Daily Echo.

But following a subsequent meeting an assessment sub-committee of the Standards Committee has decided that four separate complaints made against him warrant investigation.

Independent Cllr David Shaw, who was expelled from the Conservative group earlier this year, is among those who have complained following the discovery of pornographic material on Cllr MacLoughlin's council-owned laptop. Cllr Shaw alleges that the council leader has shown a lack of respect to his colleagues and the council.

Three members of the public have also complained including Nigel Gillespie, who claims that Cllr MacLoughlin has brought his office as councillor and the council into disrepute.

After considering the complaints, the assessment sub-committee decided that the allegations be referred to the deputy monitoring officer to arrange an investigation and prepare a report to the Standards Committee.

Councillors have defeated an attempt to pass a vote of no-confidence in Bournemouth council leader Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin.

There were boos and cries of welcome to Beijing and shame on you all you hypocrites from the public gallery as the verdict was delivered in a recorded vote at the meeting of Bournemouth full council yesterday.

Mean minded Cllr Anne Rey moved the motion following the revelation that porn was found on his council laptop computer – a matter which is now being investigated by the standards committee.

Cllr Rey told the meeting: I move this motion for the sake of fairness and what is right for this council and town. If this matter hadn't been leaked to the Echo none of us would have known about it. If this had been anyone else it would have been referred to the standards committee and dealt with accordingly, and probably the member wouldn't be sitting here now.

She also referred to 20 staff who were put on paid management leave after sending supposedly offensive emails, branding it double standards and said that Cllr MacLoughlin should stand down at least temporarily. She added: He should be setting an example. Cllr MacLoughlin has lost the authority and respect which his position commands.

Cllr Claire Smith said: This came as a great shock to many of us when we eventually learned of it. The damage has been done not just to Cllr MacLoughlin's reputation but all our reputations.

The recorded vote was 10 for, 24 against and eight not voting.

A public hearing is to decide if the leader of Bournemouth Borough Council breached its code of conduct after porn was found on his work computer.

A routine service of Conservative councillor Stephen MacLoughlin's laptop revealed top shelf material in 2008.

A council inquiry was held privately, and no further action taken. It has now been decided to hold one publicly.

At the time, a spokesman said MacLoughlin admitted accessing a site not related to council business. Contravened policy

The council said the material accessed on MacLoughlin's laptop contravened its internet policy but the incident occurred outside normal council office hours and not on council premises. The council's chief executive said MacLoughlin had cooperated with the internal inquiry and agreed to comply with the council's internet policy in future.

Update: How nasty can you get over a bit off off duty porn surfing?

29th June 2010. Based on article from bournemouthecho.co.uk

Now a member of Stephen MacLoughlin's own party has joined those saying he should have stood down while the issue was investigated.

Long-serving Conservative Cllr Basil Ratcliffe told the Daily Echo: Having it in public is an excellent idea. It's the only way of letting people see that things have been dealt with in a proper manner. I think you should always stand aside until you're cleared if there's something hanging over your head. It would have been far better to stand aside until the matter was dealt with.

Independent group leader Cllr Anne Rey said: I've said right from the start that he should have resigned straight away. He has held his position ever since and if it had been an opposition member or a member of staff, they would have been gone.

Cllr Claire Smith, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, said: As I said at the beginning when this story broke, he should have done the decent thing and stepped down straight away as leader. Every time someone comes under investigation all 54 councillors are tarred with the same brush and that's why we should have a completely open investigation into all of the allegations and it should be done quickly.

The leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, who is facing a public inquiry into adult pornographic images found on his council laptop, has resigned.

Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin said he took the decision, at a meeting of his local Tory party, to draw a line under recent events.

In his resignation statement, MacLoughin said he hoped his resignation would help repair his party's reputation [as a bunch of mean spirited politicians hell bent denying others the pleasures of life].

The former leader of Bournemouth council will face no further action after it was discovered pornography had been accessed on his work laptop.

The images were found on Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin's computer after a routine IT service in December 2008.

He faced a public hearing earlier where a panel ruled he was not acting in an official capacity when the incident was alleged to have occurred.

The panel will present its full findings next week.

Roy Wardle, chairman of the committee, said: Whilst the committee does not condone the use that Councillor MacLoughlin made of his laptop, our conclusion is that [he] was not conducting the business of the council at the time and therefore a breach of the code did not arise.