Sussex Police Commissioner threatens legal action after no confidence vote
The vote was held after she attended a protest against asylum seekers in Crowborough
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex is considering legal action after facing a vote of no confidence for attending a protest against asylum seekers in Crowborough.
Katy Bourne is calling for the formal criticism to be retracted and a public apology issued after she was censured in a non-binding motion for her presence at the march in East Sussex in November.
Crowborough has seen a series of protests against the use of a training camp to house over 500 asylum seekers while their claims are being processed.
On 30th January, the Sussex Police and Crime Panel expressed its "lost confidence" in Bourne following the protest on 8th November and her comments on Radio Sussex on 30th December about tagging asylum seekers as well as her actions on social media.
The motion stated, "Her lack of impartiality has brought the office of Commissioner and policing into disrepute... We therefore censure her for her actions."
Minutes of the meeting reveal Bourne, an elected official, argued her intention was to engage with local people and listen to their concerns, describing feeling harassed for fulfilling her duties.
She also reportedly claimed her social media interactions were personal and some of her comments had been misrepresented.
Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer Mark Streater requested it be noted he did not see the motion as a formal duty of the panel, awaiting further report justification.
Advice confirmed the panel had the remit for voting on motions but the decision wasn’t binding, and the PCC could respond.
A spokeswoman for the PCC’s office explained, “I can confirm that the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner has taken legal advice and instructed our solicitors to contact the legal advisor to the Sussex Police and Crime Panel (PCP)... This is to issue a notice of proposed judicial review of the decision of the PCP to censure the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner at the meeting at County Hall in Lewes on 30th January.”
She stated this action was outside the statutory authority of the panel, citing breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights Articles 10 and 11 regarding freedom of expression and assembly.
The Sussex Police and Crime Panel have been approached for comment.