Croydon has seen a significant rise in ethics complaints lodged against councillors in 2025, with the number jumping to 17 from just two the previous year. This figure, however, remains below the peak of 43 complaints recorded in 2022.

The annual report on ethics complaints for 2025, presented to the Croydon Ethics Committee on March 11, 2026, revealed that while the total number of complaints increased, a substantial portion did not proceed to a full assessment.

Of the 17 complaints received, three were withdrawn by the complainant. A further six could not be assessed because further information was requested from the complainants, but it was not provided.

Three matters did proceed to an initial assessment. However, these all resulted in no further action because it was determined that there had been no failure to comply with the Code of Conduct in respect of these matters.

The nature of the complaints that did not proceed to further action primarily related to councillors not responding to correspondence in a timely manner or social media posts deemed improper but not a breach of the Code of Conduct.

Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Director of Legal & Governance and Monitoring Officer, presented the report. He noted that the increase in complaints aligns with the volume seen in 2023, suggesting a return to pre-2024 levels rather than a new surge.

Complaint Assessment Process

The typical process for assessing an ethics complaint begins with the complaint being made to the Monitoring Officer. The Monitoring Officer then undertakes an initial assessment using specific criteria. These criteria include checking if the allegation relates to a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (which is a police matter), if the subject is still a Member, if the matter has already been investigated, if a significant period (3 months) has elapsed since the conduct occurred, the seriousness of the complaint, whether it is malicious or politically motivated, if it is part of 'the rough and tumble of political debate', if insufficient information has been provided, if referring the complaint for investigation is the best use of public resources and in the public interest, if the complaint demonstrates a lack of understanding of the code or policies/procedures, if the complaint relates to the manner in which meetings are conducted, if it is one person's word against another with no independent evidence, and if the complaint can be resolved informally.

Based on this assessment, the Monitoring Officer decides whether the complaint ought to be referred for investigation. The Monitoring Officer may consult with an Independent Person during this assessment stage.

The full report can be found in the Public reports pack 11th March 2026 18:30 Ethics Committee.