A TOWN clerk said a councillor lied and brought a town council into disrepute after he claimed he had not been receiving minutes ahead of meetings.

Westhoughton town clerk Christine Morris said independent town councillor Jack Speight made “false statements” about not receiving minutes from the Planning and Finance Committee since he was voted off the group in December, 2017.

At last month’s Westhoughton Town Council meeting he abstained from voting on minutes, and later claimed he hadn’t received them in time to read them.

Other councillors felt he was casting unfounded aspersions on the work of Ms Morris, while adding to a long voting record of abstentions.

At the town council planning and finance committee meeting on Monday, which Cllr Speight attended as a member of the public, Ms Morris said: “I have worked for the town council for 31 years. I have never known an elected member anywhere in the country to lie about an employee and try to use it as an excuse for his own inaction.

“For years, Cllr Speight has regularly abstained or voted against items. This is not working for Westhoughton, as people expect.

“To try and use the town clerk as an excuse is extremely disrespectful and he has brought the town council into disrepute.”

Ms Morris explained: “Both the previous planning meeting minutes and town council meeting minutes are presented for approval at the town council meeting and are posted out by the town clerk, in a legal manner for councillors to receive them three days before the meeting.”

Ms Morris added: “Neither Cllr Speight nor members of the public pick up the minutes on the day or five minutes before a meeting — this would be strictly illegal and has certainly never happened.”

She said: “Both the previous planning meeting minutes and town council meeting minutes are presented for approval at the town council meeting and are posted out by the town clerk, in a legal manner for councillors to receive them three days before the meeting.”

Cllr Speight declined to comment during the meeting and has not been available for comment since then.

According to Westhoughton town council’s standing orders, summons to a meeting and the agenda are sent out to councillors three clear days before the meeting.

Minutes are only made available to the public once they have been approved by members.

Cllr Speight has just started his own political party, Westhoughton First Independents.

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