At 7am this morning IW Radio were reporting that a sub-committee of the Ethical Standards Committee (ESC) at the Isle of Wight Council have concluded that David Pugh did not break the Code of Conduct when he shouted expletives at the partner of local MP, Andrew Turner in the car park outside the Valentine’s Ball of the Council Chairman.
The findings have not been officially be released by the council.
They say that the Assessment Sub-Committee of the ESC found that David Pugh, Leader of the Council and Shanklin County Councillor, was not “acting in an official capacity,” so therefore did not break the Code of Conduct.
The decision was made after a member of the public lodged a complaint against Cllr Pugh.
The radio report went on to say that this element of the complaint made by Cllrs Bacon, Lumley and Welsford earlier in the week would also be dismissed.
Information not officially released
We haven’t had any word of this finding, nor has another Island paper that we spoke to today.
Naturally, we contacted the council press office first thing today, but they tell us that the findings of the sub-committee haven’t officially been released.
Given the number of comments that the PughTube story has generated – over 670 as we write – letting VB readers know the findings would have been an obvious choice.
The information must have been leaked to Isle of Wight radio with sufficient time for them to have had David Pugh into the studio to record his reaction, so they could prepare and run the story at 7am today.
We’ve emailed David Pugh for a statement.
This leak occurs the day before The Gazette has promised to ‘tell all’ about the night that included David Pugh’s outburst.
