19th September 2025
UPDATE – a message received from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman:
Former Mayor of Sefton Clare Louise Carragher is NOT going to be investigated by Sefton Council after behaving in a disgraceful manner at a public meeting. The salaried principal lawyer who emailed me quoted ‘aggression from the public gallery’ as if to justify his decision. He also failed to refer this for an independent opinion…
THIS WILL THEREFORE BE REFERRED TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OMBUDSMAN
THERE YOU HAVE IT…!! Here’s the email:
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Richard Clegg <Richard.Clegg@sefton.gov.uk>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2025 at 16:45
Subject: RE: Confidential
To: Paul Cardin
Dear Mr Cardin
Thank you for your email and for providing me with the YouTube footage. I apologise that I have not responded to your substantive complaint before now, I have had some periods of leave and been tied up on other matters. However, I am now in a position to respond.
The complaint was made under the Council’s standards regime /code of conduct against Cllr Carragher. The complaint relates to 3 comments you allege were made by Cllr Carragher during the course of a Full Meeting of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council on 10 July 2025 (the “Meeting”). You allege that Cllr Carragher addressed members of the public in the following terms:
1. “Get back to Wetherspoon”
(My complaint stated, “Go back to Wetherspoons”)
2. “Come and snuggle up to my boobs” and
(My complaint stated, “Well, you can all snuggle up in my boobs, then, can’t you?”)
3. “Fascists” – this being directed after a question concerning the cost of housing foreign nationals.
As I understand it, your complaint is that this breaches the Council’s Code of Conduct (the “Code”).
To summarise, you contend that in making the alleged comments above, Cllr Caragher’s has failed to treat someone/people with respect, displayed a low opinion of members of the public present, displayed sleazy behaviour, revealed an ugly mindset and displayed a politically distorted attitude towards members of the public in the gallery at the Meeting.
On the face of it, these comments could be viewed as amounting to a breach of the Code as alleged. However, I must consider the consider the public interest test in relation to how to address the complaint moving forward. Whilst these comments do have negative connotations, they have to be taken in the context of the Meeting as a whole. There was significant aggression from the public gallery with personal comments being made towards a number of councillors, including Cllr Caragher.
Whilst Councillors do need to be held to a higher level of account, the context in which comments are made cannot be ignored when considering complaints against them under the Code. Even though these complaints are accepted, they are very much at the lower end of the scale, and it is not in the public interest to commission an investigation into this matter.
I will however, contact Cllr Carragher and remind her of her obligations under the code of conduct, but do not intend to take any further action in relation to your complaint.
This concludes the consideration of your standards complaints.
Kind regards,
Richard Clegg | Principal Lawyer
Corporate Legal Services, Corporate Resources, Magdalen House, 30 Trinity Road, Bootle, L20 3NJ
Tel: 0151 934 2299
E: Richard.clegg@sefton.gov.uk
Number of the original standards complaint
Text of the original complaint
Text of a Standards Complaint sent today to the Monitoring Officer at Sefton Council:
During a public council meeting on 10th July 2025 at Sefton Town Hall chaired by Mayor Councillor June Burns, former Sefton Mayor Councillor Clare Carragher was seen to shout repeatedly at the public. It was the content of these very clear and very audible addresses that gave me much cause for concern and which I believe breached the Councillor Code of Conduct on three occasions.
1. Incident at timestamps [00:39] and [10:13] in the following video link, Councillor Clare Carragher shouted, “Go back to Wetherspoons” to the public gallery, implying that all members of the public seated in the gallery attended public houses and were all alcohol drinkers (highly unlikely to be true) and also implying they should not have been in attendance at the council and would have been better suited to returning to drink at a local public house. This breaches the Councillor Code of Conduct 1.1 (I treat other Members and members of the public with respect.)
2. Incident at timestamp [29:40] in the following video link, Councillor Clare Carragher shouted, “Well, you can all snuggle up in my boobs, then, can’t you?” This displays an extremely low opinion of people present in the public gallery and reveals a sleazy, very disturbing attitude for a current councillor and former Mayor of Sefton. This breaches the Councillor Code of Conduct 1.1
3. Incident at timestamp [28:23] in the following video link. Commentary at timestamp [04:26] in the following video link. Councillor Clare Carragher shouted, “Fascists” towards the public gallery, (again, highly unlikely that members of the public are fascists) revealing an ugly mindset and a politically distorted attitude towards the people present in the public gallery. This breaches the Councillor Code of Conduct 1.1
The Code of Conduct clearly states: “The fundamental aim of the Code is to create and maintain public confidence in the role of Member and local government.” The above very public breaches of the code severely damage public confidence in the role of councillor.
The history to this …
[Click, then zoom…]
Today, I sent a further email which takes this to the next stage:
So it’s headed to the Ombudsman …
[Click, then zoom…]
I believe I’ve got them bang to rights here …
… but we shall see…!
2nd September 2025 UPDATE
Summary of complaint lodged tonight with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman:
Complaint lodged with Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman tonight against Sefton Council and their decision not to investigate an unruly former Mayor
Summary
Here is a summary of your complaint. Please check all the details before you submit it to us.
Personal Details
Title
Mr
First Name
Paul
Surname
Cardin
AddressLine1
TownCity
Wallasey
PostCode
EmailAddress
MobileTelephone
07
Form Answers
1. Who are you complaining about?
Organisation Type
Council
Which Council are you complaining about?
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Is this the correct Council
Yes – I confirm this is the correct Council
2. Have you complained?
Have you complained to the organisation or asked for an appeal or review?
Yes
When did you complain, appeal or ask for a review?
17/07/2025
Can you upload your complaint/appeal/review request now?
Yes
Upload Your Complaint
Submission_of_complaint_to_Local_Government_and_Social_Care_Ombudsman_-_Sefton_Council.docx
Do you have the organisation’s reference number?
Yes
Please enter the organisation’s complaint reference
SEF-1469427
3. The Organisation’s response to your complaint
Do you have a final response from the organisation?
Yes
When did you receive a final response?
29/08/2025
Can you upload your final response now?
Yes
Upload Your Final Response
Richard_Clegg_final_response_Sefton_Council.docx
4. Complaint subject and details
What is the subject of your complaint?
Other – Please Specify
Other
Councillor Standards Complaint
What do you think the organisation did wrong?
Errors in process 1. Did not respond to my emailed concerns 2. Failed to consult an independent person internally resulting in ‘no investigation’ 3. Failed to advise me on my options
How has this affected you?
Has made me feel that a very clear breach of the Nolan Principles has not been addressed and further reduced my trust in elected officials, even members of senior standing.
What do you think the organisation should do to put things right?
Apologise to me for its clear failures in process. Accept that due to the failure to consult an independent person internally they may have arrived at the wrong decision regarding further investigation of Councillor Clare Carragher. These were very serious, very public issues that occurred at a public meeting, one which was reported in the press. The council was already being viewed in a very poor light following this meeting and this foreseeable and avoidable failure to investigate will exacerbate the situation.
5. How we communicate with you
Do you need us to communicate with you in a certain way because of a disability?
No
6. Whose complaint is it?
Are you completing this form on behalf of someone else?
No
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