No justice for member over job loss jibe
WHEN a journalist inadvertently receives an email containing a private discussion between two councillors, what should she do?
The question is asked by Catherine Smyth (below), who was news editor of the Rossendale Free Press in Lancashire until the Guardian Media Group moved its weekly titles into Manchester and closed their local offices.
Catherine Smyth received just such a message and like any reporter would she did a story about it — on the borough’s hot topic, the closure of leisure facilities.
Six weeks later, when the newspaper’s impending move was made public, one of the parties in the scandal, Councillor Nicola May, sent another email to all her Conservative party colleagues.
It read: “Job losses at the Free Press — let’s hope Catherine Smyth is one of them.”
After being sent a copy by a wellwisher who was appalled at the comments, she sought advice from the NUJ, of which she has been a member for 21 years. She then complained to Rossendale Council that the councillor had not treated her with respect and had acted in a manner that could bring the council into disrepute.
A solicitor was appointed and statements taken, but when the private hearing took place in August the standards hearing sub-committee found the councillor had done nothing wrong.
Catherine Smyth was told she had a right of review and requested that the judgement be re-examined, only to receive an apologetic letter a month later saying that legislation does not allow for a review. There is also no redress through the Standards Board for England.
“At this time of job losses and redundancies, it seems irresponsible for anyone to make comments like this,” said Catherine, who opted for redundancy when the newspaper moved. “I am a parent with two young children and losing your job is not funny. I am sure had I been a nurse then the standards committee may have viewed her action differently.
“I am proud to have been responsible for exposing the secretive comments made by members of Rossendale Council. Both councillors showed one face in public, while secretly swapping emails and making disparaging remarks about their colleagues behind their backs.”