Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Is this the correct way to proceed?

The Conservative group asked for standing orders to be suspended.

Their concern was in relation to a business run by the Leader of WC (Cllr. Ian Thorn) and the possible public perception of it.

An 'Evidence Pack' was emailed to councillors only ten minutes before the meeting started.

I voted against the requested suspension as a) I hadn't had time to read what had been sent to me, and b) any doubts as to the actions of any councillor should, in the first instance, be reported to the WC Monitoring Officer.

If the suspension had been agreed we would have had, in my opinion, a 'kangaroo court' (assuming that I am still 'allowed' to use that phrase) and that would not have been in the interest of the WC public we serve.