4.5  Courtesy and respect

 

Section 3 of the Code also covers your general conduct. The Code requires you to treat colleagues, council officers and the public with courtesy and respect at all times, even if you disagree with their views. This applies in person, in writing, at meetings and when you are online, including when using social media. The Code also requires you to respect and comply with rulings from the chair or convener during council meetings, committee meetings or meetings of any outside body to which you are appointed by the Council.

While you are entitled to express your views and disagree with others, you must do so in a respectful way. It is usually better to focus on the issue itself rather than making personal comments about an individual.

If you make a comment in the heat of the moment that you do not mean and subsequently regret, you should consider retracting it and apologising. Bear in mind, however, that comments made on social media may have circulated widely by the time you seek to retract them or apologise.

You are expected to advance equality of opportunity and to seek to foster good relations between different people. You must not express views that indicate a discriminatory attitude towards people on the basis of race, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy/maternity.

The Code also notes that it is the impact of the behaviour, not the intent, that is key.

It should be noted that the Code does not require you to respond to all correspondence, phone calls or enquiries from members of the public or constituents. In some cases, it may be better to refrain from responding.