Cornwall Council: Lib Dem leader quits after sharing email

Councillor Adam Paynter has been forced to stand down as leader of the Liberal Democrat group

A senior councillor has been forced to quit as leader of the Liberal Democrat group after sharing a confidential email from a fellow councillor.

Adam Paynter, deputy leader of Cornwall Council, forwarded an email from Dulcie Tudor to senior officers with a message saying: "You didn't get this from me."

Cllr Tudor said the action amounted to "bullying and intimidation" and had "dire consequences" for her.

Cllr Paynter said he apologised and sent the email "in an attempt to help".

Cornwall Liberal Democrats denied the complaint concerned bullying.

The email was critical of Phil Mason, strategic planning and economic development director, but was forwarded on to him and Kate Kennally, chief executive of Cornwall Council.

Dulcie Tudor said she was relieved her complaint had reached a conclusion

In a statement, Ms Tudor said she was "relieved that my ordeal in pursuing a complaint against bullying and intimidation by a senior member of the Liberal Democrat Cornwall Council group has reached a conclusion."

She added the allegations were investigated at a national level by the Liberal Democrats who found "Adam Paynter had brought the Liberal Democrat Party into disrepute and recognised Adam Paynter's actions caused a good deal of harm, distress, and damage, to a councillor colleague."

Ms Tudor represents the Threemilestone and Gloweth division near Truro, and the email concerned a controversial local development of 4,000 homes, two schools and a stadium planned for Langarth.

In July she stood down from the party after what she called "a complete lack of support" regarding bullying she received after labelling some people protesting against the over development of Cornwall as the "sinister underbelly of Cornish nationalism".

She remains an Independent Cornwall Councillor and will be seeking re-election on 6 May.

Cllr Paynter said in a statement: "I will be standing down as leader of the Liberal Democrat group but I am not resigning as a Cornwall Councillor or leaving the cabinet or my position as deputy leader of Cornwall Council.

"In an attempt to help a former colleague with a matter in their ward, I shared an email with officers of the council without asking permission first, in contravention of proper process. I apologised to the colleague at the time."

Cornwall Council said it is checking its constitution to see if Mr Paynter can remain as deputy leader and within the cabinet.