Bitter accusations as Chris Humphries stays as Area Board chairman

At a regular meeting of the Marlborough Area Board (MAB) on Tuesday (November 27), Wiltshire Councillor Chris Humphries remained as chairman – despite disquiet expressed from a fellow councillor and from the floor.  And it now looks as though he will stay as chairman until the end of March – the end of the Council’s year.

Councillor Humphries was recently censured by a Wiltshire Council standards hearing over several incidents of bullying towards Mrs Julia Densham, a council officer who was then the MAB manager.   He has since been suspended by the Tory party group on Wiltshire Council and has left the Tory party to continue as an independent councillor.

The chairman’s situation was raised by James Keith of the Parish Forum who had expected Councillor Humphries to make a statement at the start of the meeting.  Councillor Humphries then read out the statement he had made to the parishes he represents.

He said that as far as he was concerned ‘business continues as normal’: “I may not be liked by all, but who is?” And he reiterated his intention to stand as an independent candidate in next May’s elections to represent Aldbourne and Ramsbury on Wiltshire Council.

Councillor Jemima Milton, who had given evidence on Mrs Densham’s behalf, said she was “saddened we have to discuss this”. She reminded the meeting that the Council Leader, Jane Scott, had been urged by the standards hearing to ask MAB Councillors to consider the  ‘appropriateness’ of Councillor Humphries continuing as chairman of the Area Board.

Councillor Milton thought he should resign and said she was “sorry my fellow councillors have not stood up for the council’s staff.”
Marlborough News Online understands that at an earlier meeting Councillors Nick Fogg and Peggy Dow overruled Councillor Milton. They took no decision on Councillor Humphries’ role on MAB and wanted to take soundings amongst MAB regulars.  Councillor Dow was unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting.

Councillor Humphries responded to Councillor Milton saying he had been elected for a full term and then launched a bitter attack on her. He said Councillor Milton had a ‘vendetta’ against him and that she was ‘bullying’ him (but he would not report her): “This is not the place to consider your campaign against me. You should consider your electorate and not your views on me.”

Val Compton spoke from the floor in support of Councillor Milton. Councillor Nick Fogg (who is MAB’s vice-chairman) said this was “A very painful issue”. Councillor Humphries had told him he wanted to stay on as chairman and that “he didn’t feel he had done anything particularly wrong.”

Councillor Fogg said he had found it “Difficult to gain a consensus on this.” The advice he had from Council officers was that the MAB chairman is elected for a whole year: “There’s no way he can be taken be taken from the chair by any proper means.”
He added that Jane Scott had referred the matter to the Council’s solicitor so he could advise Councillor Fogg – but he had not been contacted by the solicitor.

After the other business of the meeting was over, several people privately expressed their dismay at the way the matter had been handled by MAB’s councillors and at the attack on Councillor Milton.

Councillor Jemima Milton told Marlborough News Online: “I am saddened that Chris Humphries felt the need to make untrue comments about me.  I wish he would accept and understand how his behaviour affects others.”