Flintshire: Councillors' respect training after Fuhrer jibe

Members of a council where one called Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford "Fuhrer" on Facebook are to be given lessons in respect.

A complaint was made about the unidentified Flintshire councillor's post, who removed it and said they were just using the German word for leader.

The ombudsman decided not to investigate as councillors have leeway to be rude or offensive to opponents.

But they will now be trained in communicating better.

The council's monitoring officer, Gareth Owens, reminded members not to abuse the right to freedom of expression.

In providing an update to the standards committee about complaints to the ombudsman he said: "Members are entitled to be quite rude about their political opponents".

But, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "The point is, it's not that you can, it's whether you should or shouldn't.

"My suggestion is members shouldn't exercise all the freedoms open to them simply because of what that does to the tenor of debate and relationships within the council."

It had the potential to make the authority an unpleasant place to work, he warned.

He added that at some town and community councils debate had become "vicious," including on social media.

Mr Owens said: "It has consequences in real life where people are approached on the street and berated because of something it has been reported that they have said - whether that's been accurately reported or not is a different issue.

"It has consequences."

A members' training programme was being put together, he said.

"It won't be about social media specifically it will be about respect in communications to others, whether that be face-to-face, within the chamber or whether it be using any media, social media or printed media outside the chamber," said Mr Owens.

The committee is also to make contact with Flintshire's Higher Kinnerton council following concerns over how the clerk was spoken to at a meeting in May.