Lewisham Council's Standards Sub-Committee A has concluded its review of a complaint against the Directly Elected Mayor, Brenda Dacres, and Councillor Kim Powell. The complaint, lodged by Ms Rachael Reign, alleged breaches of the Council's Code of Conduct concerning Councillor Powell's involvement with the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) and Mayor Dacres' subsequent handling of the matter.
Ms Reign's concerns centred on Councillor Powell's alleged use of her position as a councillor to legitimize and promote the UCKG, specifically by requesting their inclusion in the Lewisham Interfaith Walk. She argued this caused distress to survivors of abuse linked to the UCKG and brought the Council and the Labour Party into disrepute. Ms Reign also accused Mayor Dacres of failing to address the issue objectively due to a close personal friendship with Councillor Powell, accepting Councillor Powell's denial of requesting the UCKG's involvement despite contrary evidence, and failing to uphold the Nolan Principles by not holding Councillor Powell accountable. Furthermore, Ms Reign alleged Mayor Dacres failed to offer meaningful remedies to survivors by declining to issue a public statement or condemn the harm attributed to the UCKG, dismissing concerns as political point-scoring.
The Lewisham Interfaith Walk for Peace is an annual event, established in 2015 and led by the Lewisham Interfaith Forum since 2018. The potential inclusion of the UCKG in this event was significant, as Ms Reign alleged it would send a damaging and invalidating message to survivors of abuse connected to the church. She further stated that the UCKG promoting the event would imply an alliance with Lewisham Council, despite documented abuse and harmful practices associated with the church, leading to distress for survivors and adverse media coverage.
An investigation report, prepared by Alex Orham of CH&I Associates, concluded that Councillor Powell's actions were carried out in her professional capacity as the UCKG's Community Outreach Manager, not as a councillor. Therefore, her conduct was deemed to be outside the jurisdiction of the Local Government Standards Framework, which governs the conduct of members when acting in their capacity as a councillor. The report explicitly states, Councillor Powell's involvement in securing UCCG's involvement in the Interfaith walk was carried out in purely her professional capacity as a UCKG employee and therefore is not a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the Local Government standards framework.
The investigation also found no evidence that Mayor Dacres breached the Code of Conduct. The report found no indication of a close personal friendship that would impair her judgment. Regarding the Mayor's Community Awards, Mayor Dacres clarified that nominations are determined by a public voting system. She stated, In 2024, UCKG's soup kitchen received nine public nominations. Anyone nominated is invited to attend the awards. We do not use the term 'winner' for nominees; however, UCKG, like many others, received a certificate for being nominated. When certificates are presented, photographs are taken and often shared on social media. A panel decides the winner in each category, and I do not sit on this panel.
During the Standards Sub-Committee meeting on Wednesday, 25 February 2026, the committee heard from Monitoring Officer Jeremy Chambers and investigator Alex Orham. The Independent Person, Katie Prestade, provided her views on the allegations, stating, I have considered the report and I provided my written comments on it on the 2nd of February so I take the view that a fair and thorough investigation has been undertaken and I do agree with the conclusions in the report.
The Independent Person's role is to offer their views on allegations of misconduct by councillors, which are taken into account by the committee before it makes its decision.
Following deliberations, the committee determined that no breach of the Members' Code of Conduct was committed by either Councillor Powell or Mayor Dacres. The committee upheld the recommendations of the investigation report, meaning no further action will be taken by the Council regarding the allegations. The report recommended, that the Council take no further action in relation to this complaint on the basis that Councillor Powell's conduct does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Localism Act, and that Mayor Dacres has not failed to comply with the Code.
Further details regarding the meeting can be found in the Agenda frontsheet and the Public reports pack. The Determination of a Complaint under the Code of Conduct and the Standards Complaint Investigation Report provide comprehensive information on the findings. Declarations of Interests were also considered.
