Complaints against three Milton Keynes councillors due to be assessed in early July

A date of July 7 is due to be confirmed on Monday next week when the standards assessment sub-committee is set to see if the three councillors have cases to answer.

The councillors under investigation are one Labour member, one Lib Dem and a Conservative.

Would be deputy mayor, Labour’s Cllr Moriah Priestley (Central MK) faces allegations that she has brought her office or the authority into disrepute, that she did not ensure that she upheld the rule of law, and did not declare her interests.

The allegations, in a document seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, were made by a former business associate of Cllr Priestley who wants to see a full apology, and for her to stand down from her position.

She has asked to remain anonymous at this stage but says she is from the same African community as Cllr Priestley, who wants to be the city’s first black female mayor.

Cllr Priestley said: “I believe that my ability to fight through and prove that these allegations have nothing to do with my political office is crucial.

“I want the people of Milton Keynes to know that they are going to get a mayor who is fair and inclusive but will not back down from a fight when necessary.

“I intend to win for me and for anyone else like me who comes in the future and may face something similar.”

Cllr Terry Baines (Cons, Campbell Park & Old Woughton) referred himself to the standards committee. He posted on social media: “It is time to stop the invasion of migrants and time to send a lot back.”

Cllr Baines has since apologised for the statement, and been stripped of his title of Armed Forces Champion with MK Council by Tory leader Alex Walker.

Cllr Walker himself came under fire at a recent meeting of the full council, where he was accused of being too soft in his stance.

The third councillor, Kerrie Bradburn (Lib Dem, Bradwell) was accused of using a fake Facebook account to pose as a different person to promote herself.

Assessment meetings are usually held behind closed doors and involve a committee that can decide to either dismiss the complaint, ask for more information, refer to the council’s monitoring officer, or hold a full hearing.

Councillors can be censured or be recommended to apologise but the committee has no power to suspend or disqualify. There is also a right of appeal.