Complaints rise over councillors' social media use

Complaints against Worcestershire county councillors for their use of social media have risen - with new guidance being created to try and help them.

The draft policy advises them against making comments online that they would not make "face to face", and asks them to avoid posting content that could "embarrass" the council.

It comes after several online spats over the last year, including a Facebook row which led to the council's Reform leader sending the chairman of Worcester Labour Party a legal threat.

A spokesperson for the council said the draft guidance would be discussed in further detail at a standards and ethics committee meeting in July.

A report by monitoring officer Hazel Best said she had "recently noted an increase in the number of Code of Conduct complaints which have highlighted issues surrounding use of social media by councillors".

"This has raised concerns about councillor behaviour on social media."

The guidance advises councillors to avoid posting on social media "in haste", particularly if they are "angered by a comment, or tired".

It also advises them not to try and "cover up mistakes" made online, adding: "Be honest and you'll get more respect for it in the long run."

The BBC has spoken to several councillors who are uneasy about the wording of the draft policy - with some pointing out that a previous attempt to get similar guidance into the code of conduct was rejected.

Best's report said: "Unwise comments on social media can have an adverse impact both on the member's and the council's reputation.

"It can also be very distressing for others who may be the subject of the comments.

"This in turn could lead to potential litigation against the member or the council.

"Regardless of the reputational or legal consequences, members should display the highest standard of conduct when engaging in social media, just as they would be expected to when engaging in other areas of council business."

The guidance also advises councillors to have separate social media profiles for personal use and council business, but warns them to be careful on both if they are visible to the public.

The authority has not stated how many complaints have been made over the last year, but said figures would be published in July ahead of the meeting.

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