Councillor’s “send a lot back” comment about migrants to be reconsidered at meeting in Milton Keynes next week

A previous meeting of the standards assessment sub committee on July 7 decided not to launch an investigation into the Facebook comment by then Conservative councillor Terry Baines on May 18.

But the split decision of three councillors, one each from the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems, caused a furore at the top of the Labour and Lib Dem leadership.

On July 23 a meeting of the full standards committee used a rare council rule to overturn that decision and to force the sub committee to have another look at the evidence.

The Conservatives accused their opponents of politicising the standards process, which they say is meant to be non-political.

Cllr Baines has also waded in, telling the MK Citizen that: “I’ve been used and I’m sick of it. They are using me to take the limelight off their own councillors.” He has also vowed to clear his name.

Now a new meeting of the assessment sub committee has been arranged for Thursday , August 20, with the meeting to be broadcast on YouTube.

A completely new committee of three will be convened, made up of Cllr Pauline Wallis (Lab, Central MK), Cllr Vanessa McPake (Lib Dem, Monkston) and Cllr Amanda Marlow (Cons, Loughton & Shenley).

Cllr Baines, who represents Campbell Park and Old Woughton has apologised for the comment and deleted it. He also referred himself to the standards committee.

He told the council’s monitoring officer, Sharon Bridglalsingh that he had been “Trying to refer to the number of illegal immigrants arriving by small boat into the country and not those that have or are entering legally.

“I do now see how that was not portrayed by my response. As soon as I was made aware of the fact it was wrong I deleted the reply, made a public apology and referred myself to standards.”

Two other complaints were then received from Oliver Balaam and Labour councillor Mohammed Khan (Bletchley East) who both called on Cllr Baines to resign.

The committee’s role is to decide whether an investigation or other action should be taken.

The council’s independent member, Maureen Briggs, has recommended that the issues should be considered by the standards committee.

In his resignation letter from the Conservatives Cllr Baines, a former soldier who served in Northern Ireland, said the situation has put a huge strain on his long-term mental health issues and “a consequence of that, my family life.”

In the letter published by MKFM he also said he is “deeply sorry for the comments.

“It was not intended to be racist nor am I racist, though as I’ve clarified previously, I can completely understand it will have caused upset.”

“As a veteran, I served side by side with people from all different backgrounds. I have fought for and put my life on the line for our country’s values.”