Alliance MLA Patrick Brown censured by standards watchdog

Patrick Brown issued a written apology following an investigation

An Alliance Party assembly member has been censured by a standards watchdog over comments about an interview process for a council chief executive.

Patrick Brown posted on social media how he believed councillors had voted on the senior appointment to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

The outgoing chief executive made a complaint to the Northern Ireland local government standards commissioner.

Mr Brown has now issued a written apology following an investigation.

"I apologise to the selection panel for undermining their role and suggesting that the panel made a choice of chief executive based on political lines," he said in a statement agreed with the watchdog.

"I accept that the selection process was merit-based and that my comments were open to alternative interpretation."

The dispute arose following the appointment in 2019 of Marie Ward as the council's chief executive, replacing Liam Hannaway.

Mr Brown - who was a councillor until his election in 2022 to the Northern Ireland Assembly - had posted claims online about how representatives from other parties on the selection panel had voted.

Mr Hannaway made a complaint to the standards commissioner, saying the allegations brought the council's recruitment process into disrepute.

He also said it had the potential to damage relationships between Ms Ward and party groupings on the council.

'Serious breaches'

Mr Brown, an assembly member for the South Down constituency, admitted breaching the councillors' code of conduct and agreed to issue a written apology to the interview panel.

In a "joint position paper" with the watchdog, he also agreed to apologise to Mr Hannaway in relation to an email sent to him in 2019.

"I accept that this was not appropriate and I apologise for suggesting in that email that the selection process was political," he said in the position paper.

He also acknowledged that asking Mr Hannaway to "withdraw the complaint was not appropriate".

Assistant local government commissioner Ian Gordon decided to impose a censure, essentially a formal criticism of the former councillor's conduct.

He said the breaches of the code of conduct were "serious", but Mr Brown had outlined how he would seek to address the dispute and make apologies.

Mr Gordon acknowledged that Mr Brown had previously breached the code over a drink-driving conviction.

But he said the current complaint was markedly different, and so it was not necessary to take into account the previous breach.

In a statement, an Alliance Party spokesman said: "We welcome the resolution of this case, which dates back five years, and which is agreed amongst all parties.

"It is also important to note the case, which relates to a social media post about the lack of representation on a recruitment panel for the council chief executive, was not taken to a public hearing, which reflects the level of the agreed breach."