Councillor misused position in taxi driver dispute

Simon Boone has been a councillor since May 2023

A Cheshire councillor has been sanctioned after a disciplinary committee found he had misused his position in a dispute with a local taxi driver.

Simon Boone, an independent councillor representing Winsford Stanlow on Cheshire West and Chester Council, was ruled to have breached the authority's code of conduct.

Complaints were raised about a social media post by Boone referencing the taxi driver and contact he made with the driver's employer, which a report deemed to have amounted to bullying and harassment.

The council's standards and complaints panel, which investigated the matter, said Boone should apologise to the taxi driver and undergo training.

Asked to comment by the BBC, Boone said he believed the investigation was "driven by political motives" and he "remained committed" to serving his community.

The complaints hearing on 19 August went ahead in Boone's absence after he said he had "valid personal reasons" for not attending.

It looked into complaints from two other councillors relating to the social media post.

The third complaint was from the driver himself, relating to complaints Boone made to his employer, which he said he "believed amounted to harassment".

The council's standards and complaints panel, which investigated the matter, said Boone should apologise

An investigation carried out by a law firm on behalf of the council found there had been a "history of animosity" and Boone's actions amounted to bullying and harassment.

The panel report also found he misused his position by repeatedly referring to being a councillor and member of the authority's licensing committee in his communications

He was said to have also misused his council email account and breached the code of conduct by "seeking to interfere into the investigation process by raising the matter with the complaint's employer".

However, the report said Boone did not bring his role or the council into disrepute.

Boone declined to be interviewed or provide written responses as part of the investigation, although he did provide a response to a draft of the report.

In it, he said he did not conduct official business on his Facebook page and also questioned the time stamp of the post - but did not deny he made the post.

'Good faith'

"There is absolutely no reliable evidence that I have deliberately attempted to undermine any individual or to inappropriately misuse my role as a councillor," he said.

"On the contrary, I feel there is a long list of evidence now of the intention of those complaining about me to do just that against me."

After the sanction decision was published, Boone said he believed the investigation was "vexatious" and "an abuse" of the positions of the councillors who complained.

"I strongly believe this investigation, culminating in a panel hearing, was an attempt to discredit me," he said.

"I wish to clarify that, in reporting an incident to a local taxi company, I acted in good faith as a private citizen, with no influence over any Cheshire West and Chester Council committees.

"I remain committed to serving my community and holding the council accountable."

Simon Boone was first elected as a councillor for Winsford Salt of the Earth in May 2023 but now sits as an independent.

Last year he was found guilty of abusive behaviour towards councillor Stuart Bingham during canvassing for local elections in 2023 and fined, and cleared of an assault charge.