Hillingdon Council has reminded its members to conduct debates politely and efficiently, following a meeting of the Standards Committee on Monday, 13 October 2025.
The committee instructed the Monitoring Officer to write to the Chief Whips of each group, urging them to remind their members of the importance of polite and respectful debate in council meetings, adhering to the rules set out in the Constitution. The move comes after the committee considered two complaints against elected members.
The complaints alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members and co-opted members. However, the committee determined that, even if the alleged misconduct was proven, it would not constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct. Therefore, no further action will be taken regarding either complaint.
Despite this, the Monitoring Officer has been instructed to invite the members involved in the complaints to a refresher briefing session on the Code of Conduct and the Member / Officer Protocol.
Additionally, the Monitoring Officer was instructed to ask the Chief Whips to ensure complaints dealt with through the Whips' Protocol are handled efficiently, minimising delays.
