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Craig BuchanSouth East
A council says it will take no action against a cabinet member who said in a leaked WhatsApp that he wanted to punch an anonymous colleague.
Opposition leaders had complained about a message sent by Peter Osborne, the Reform UK councillor responsible for transport at Kent County Council.
The text, sent in the wake of video from a heated party meeting being leaked, read: “I’m hoping this mole is a bloke so I can punch him right in the jaw.”
Osbourne previously said the comment was “made out of frustration at the circumstances, which I’m sure many will understand, rather than malice.”
Kent County Council has informed group leaders of the Liberal Democrats, Greens, Labour, Conservatives and Independent Reformers that their joint complaint was rejected.
The complaint had alleged Osborne had breached the local authority’s code of conduct by carrying out harassment or bullying, including “intimidating behaviour”.
“There is a clear risk that a message like this will create a hostile or intimidating environment,” the complaint had read.
Reform UK had called the complaint “faux outrage”.
It is understood the council did not believe Osborne was acting as a councillor when he sent the message, or that the remark was serious enough to warrant action.
The council told the complainants that nothing would be gained from further action because the incident was already in the public domain.
Liberal Democrat group leader Antony Hook said he disagreed with the decision and it was “unacceptable for a councillor to tell their colleagues that they want to punch one of them”.
Bill Barrett, who leads the Independent Reformers after being kicked out of Reform UK, said it was “very worrying” that the case was dismissed.
“Apparently a councillor can say anything threatening or insulting they like on internal political WhatsApp groups and there is no sanction,” he said.
He called his former party “incredibly hypocritical” for removing seven other councillors from its ranks in recent months.
A Kent County Council spokesperson said: “Matters relating to any individual Member Code of Conduct complaints are not discussed with the public.”
Additional reporting by PA Media
