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'Bring back Golliwog' Forest of Dean councillor breached code Second Forest of Dean councillor resigns in golliwog row
(about 5 hours later)
A councillor who backed a social media campaign to 'Bring back the Golliwog' has been told to apologise and attend training within three weeks. "Inadequate sanctions" against a Forest of Dean councillor who backed a 'Bring back the Golliwog' campaign online have led to another councillor resigning.
Lynne Sterry resigned as chair of the Forest of Dean District Council's standards committee after sharing the Facebook post. Sid Phelps said not sacking Lynne Sterry from the council's standards committee made it look "a bit cosy". He is stepping down from the committee in protest.
The same committee has now decided her actions breached the authority's code of conduct. Ms Sterry resigned as chair last month but she remains a committee member.
Ms Sterry claimed she had shared the post in innocence. She has been told to apologise and attend training within three weeks.
She has since apologised "unreservedly" and has also stood down from Cinderford Town Council. Mr Phelps had criticised the outcome of the meeting, held last week, which ruled Ms Sterry breached the authority's code of conduct, insisting "it will do nothing for the standing of the committee".
'Not racist' "If you are on the standards committee you need a measure of judgement and need to be a little bit wiser," he said.
"It all looks a bit cosy. The sanctions were completely inadequate," he added.
Ms Sterry claimed she had shared the post in innocence and has since apologised "unreservedly".
She has also stood down from Cinderford Town Council.
'Not a racist'
Ms Sterry had claimed she had backed the campaign calling for the return of the doll and not "given it a thought", as it reminded her of a childhood toy she had in the 1950s.Ms Sterry had claimed she had backed the campaign calling for the return of the doll and not "given it a thought", as it reminded her of a childhood toy she had in the 1950s.
At the committee meeting, she said she had "been in a very dark place for a few weeks".At the committee meeting, she said she had "been in a very dark place for a few weeks".
"Nothing you could do to me today would make me feel any worse than I already do," she added."Nothing you could do to me today would make me feel any worse than I already do," she added.
"It really was personal to me but of course I wasn't thinking outside the box, I was thinking about me and my childhood at the time." She was defended by Councillor Paul Hiett, who said: "I've known Lynne for 20 years, she's not a racist.
She was defended by councillor Paul Hiett, who said: "I've known Lynne for 20 years, she's not a racist.
"There is not a racist bone in her body. I believe she was perhaps a little bit naive.""There is not a racist bone in her body. I believe she was perhaps a little bit naive."
'Wisdom and judgement' The committee declared by a majority of seven that Ms Sterry breached the code of conduct and agreed by a majority of one to impose sanctions against her.
However, councillor Sid Phelps said he would need to consider his own position on the committee due to Ms Sterry's "complete lack of judgement".
He added: "I am just very worried about the public perception of this council.
"If you have a standards committee where people are on it who do not have the wisdom and judgement that is necessary, it is not going to do our standing as a council any good."
The committee declared by a majority of seven that Ms Sterry breached the code of conduct and agreed by a majority of one to impose sanctions on her.
She will have to issue an apology within seven days and attend 21 days of training with the council's monitoring officer.
A council spokesperson previously said it had been "dismayed at the comments" made by the Labour councillor which "in no way represents the views" of the authority.