Hartlepool Councillor Refuses to Stand Down, Despite a Council Request following His Criminal Conviction for Assault...

teessidetoday
Apr 30
2 min read

The proposals requesting former Labour Councillor Stephen Wallace resigns from his post were said to have been discussed by the councils Audit & Governance Committee in February this year, however its claimed the councillor remains adamant to serve the rest of his elected term....

30th April 2025

A Hartlepool Councillor who was convicted of assault earlier this year is reportedly refusing to stand down from his elected position, despite formal calls from the local council urging him to resign.

Steve Wallace now sits as an Independent in the Council Chamber following his conviction for Assault

Steve Wallace, formerly a Labour councillor and now sitting as an Independent, was convicted earlier this year at York Magistrates’ Court. Wallace admitted a lesser offence of assault after an initial charge of alleged sexual assault was dropped. His conviction was said to have sparked outrage among some members of the public and elected officials alike.

Despite the gravity of the conviction, Wallace has thus far reportedly resisted stepping down from his £8,330 a year post. He previously stated he was “reflecting on his options”, but according to information obtained by HBC Exposed, the Hartlepool councillor now intends to serve out the remainder of his elected term.

This decision has drawn further scrutiny in light of a recent set to be presented to the full council, which addressed the perceived weaknesses in the current local government standards system. The report was produced following a meeting of the Councils Audit & Governance Committee, which considered the Government's consultation on proposed reforms to strengthen the conduct framework for local elected councillors in England.

The committee noted that the existing regime is often “ineffective, inconsistently applied, and lacking adequate powers to sanction misconduct.” As such, the Government's proposed reforms include:

A mandatory code of conduct applicable to all local councils.
A mandatory baseline for sanctions and ethics, ensuring fairness and consistency across the country.

Its claimed the response to this consultation, formulated by Hartlepool Borough Councils Audit & Governance Committee was formally submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) earlier this year....

Whilst in discussion about the code of conduct for elected council members, its claimed the chamber was asked to consider officially calling for the resignation of former Labour Councillor Wallace, given the nature of his conviction, a request which was seconded by Independent Seaton Ward Councillor Sue Little.

However, Wallace's apparent refusal to heed this request has added to the growing concerns about accountability and ethics within Hartlepool politics, where his continued presence on the local council means that Hartlepool Borough Council now has four councillors serving with criminal convictions, a statistic that raises serious questions about the integrity of local governance, with Wallace’s refusal to stand down representing not just a personal decision, but a broader failure of a system that currently lacks the legal mechanisms to force out disgraced elected officials & casting yet another stain upon Hartlepool Borough Councils already 'tarnished' reputation......

What do you think ?

Should Councillors who commit a criminal offence within their elected term be sacked from the job ?