Politicians must be more respectful, says standards watchdog

Politicians must show a greater degree of respect in their discourse, the independent body which adjudicates on councillors’ behaviour has said.

The Standards Commission for Scotland is asking elected members to demonstrate their commitment to respectful debate by signing the “civility pledge” from the Jo Cox Foundation.

The statutory body says it is increasingly concerned by referrals about disrespectful behaviour by elected members to other councillors, officials and members of the public.

It has the power to censure, suspend or disqualify councillors if codes of conduct have been breached.

Recent cases have seen complaints upheld about councillors being rude to members of the public, bullying a junior council official and harassing a fellow councillor.

Ahead of next year’s Holyrood election, the commission has made a new appeal for civility.

The “civility pledge” asks signatories to behave “respectfully” to those they disagree with and act with “integrity”.

Suzanne Vestri, convener of the Standards Commission for Scotland, said: “How politicians conduct themselves and interact with others in person, during debates, at meetings and on social media has a significant impact on the standards of public debate.

“That’s why we’re calling for greater respect from our elected members, especially as emotions run high on the run-up to the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

“The Standards Commission for Scotland welcomes robust debate and asks politicians to lead by example by following the civility pledge and demonstrating the high standards of conduct the public is entitled to expect.”