Newcastle City Council has approved a new action plan aimed at rebuilding trust after an independent inquiry found poor behaviour by some councillors had become “almost accepted, tolerated and normalised”.
The review, carried out by the Local Government Association (LGA), was commissioned in December 2024 following concerns about the culture within the council and relationships between elected members and officers.
Among the issues that led to the inquiry were allegations of bullying made by senior director Michelle Percy against former council leader Nick Kemp. A separate investigation later cleared Mr Kemp of breaching the council’s code of conduct.
Published earlier this month, the LGA report found the council was in a stronger position than it had been in 2024, citing “good leadership, effective governance and good relationships” between senior officers and councillors.
However, it also found that “poor behaviour has now become almost accepted, tolerated and normalised” among a small group of elected members and called for a series of improvements.
Presenting the council’s response at a cabinet meeting on Monday, council leader Colin Ferguson said the review was “capturing a snapshot that is not reflective of where the council is now”, particularly following May’s local elections, which saw 52 new councillors elected and the political balance of the authority significantly change.
He said there were still lessons to be learned and that he wanted things to be “the best they possibly can be”.
The action plan includes a new development programme for councillors, including tailored training for those in key roles. Councillors will also be encouraged to sign the LGA’s “Debate Not Hate” pledge.
Other measures include increased scrutiny of cabinet decisions, a review of the council’s charter to improve transparency and modernise working practices, and additional training for officers who regularly work with councillors.
Green group leader Nick Hartley said it was important that both councillors and staff felt the authority had become a “safer place to work” and that public confidence improved as a result.
Responding, Mr Ferguson said he hoped the council could foster a culture where political disagreements were handled respectfully and did not become a “problem”.
He added: “I would hope that what we would find is that people are seeing that it is a safer and more respectful place to work.”
The review was also discussed at last week’s full council meeting, where Mr Ferguson said Newcastle “can be a leader in the country if we work together to make it so”.
However, the meeting also saw a clash between Mr Ferguson and independent councillor Marc Donnelly. The council leader accused Mr Donnelly of making “baseless accusations” that “besmirch this chamber and bring shame on all of us”.
Mr Donnelly had questioned the council’s decision to appoint several former councillors as honorary aldermen, arguing that the title should “represent exceptional service to Newcastle, not political favour, not patronage, and not reward”.
Reform UK group leader Steven Rutherford welcomed the progress made since the inquiry began, saying “real progress” had been achieved and describing the newly configured authority as “the most collaborative council there has been in recent years”.
He also called for a commitment to a “fair and positive campaign” ahead of the forthcoming by-election in Throckley, Walbottle and Newburn.
The action plan will now be rolled out over the coming months as the council seeks to implement the recommendations made by the LGA review.
