Borough Solicitor called a liar at public meeting

The Rochdale Council Borough Solicitor was accused of lying by a member of the public at last night's Pennines Township Committee. In an unresolved issue concerning the conferment of the status of Honorary Aldermen on Councillors Rodney Stott MBE and Beryl Wright, Mr Barry Cropper accused Borough Solicitor Catherine Witham of lying to him in a letter concerning the issue.

The decision to bestow the honour of Alderman on the two councillors was supposedly taken at a Council meeting in April this year. Mr Cropper raised the issue during the open forum of the Pennines Township Committee meeting of 22 May, saying that the decision of the council was unlawful as a Special Meeting of the Council had not been announced to discuss the matter, as is the requirement of Section 249 of the Local Government Act of 1972 when deciding on Aldermen.

Mr Cropper referred the issue to the District Auditor as an unlawful matter of account. In response the District Auditor said that whilst there had been a technical breach of regulations, no further action would be taken.

In response to a query from a Member of the Pennines Township Committee, Mr Cropper responded that the issue had not been raised with the Borough Solicitor. The Committee referred the issue to the Borough Solicitor for response.

During last night’s meeting Mr Cropper said directly that the Borough Solicitor, Catherine Witham, was a liar as she wrote to him saying that it had only been proposed that the Aldermen be bestowed with that honour, contradicting what was said at the Council meeting that the decision had been made.

The Council has spoken to the District Auditor about the issue and the matter has now been put to rest. Borough Solicitor Catherine Witham said: "The council has a duty to act in the public interest and we have recently responded to the District Auditor on this issue who considers the matter to be finalised."

Mr Cropper said of Ms Witham during the meeting: “She is a liar and if she was here I would call her a liar to her face.”

Councillor Keith Swift is a member of the Pennines Township Committee and heard Mr Cropper’s comments. He said: “It was an unpleasant experience sitting at the meeting and listening to a member of the public describing the borough solicitor in such terms.