Council Clerk Quits Over ‘Breaches Of Trust’ And Calls For Reform

The clerk of Newport and Carisbrooke Community (NCCC) has resigned, citing what he described as the Isle of Wight local authority’s ‘sustained breaches’ of ‘trust, confidence and fair procedure’.

Joshua Tombleson’s resignation letter was copied to his UNISON representatives Mark Chiverton and Lewis Wells, and seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said he hoped his departure would be an opportunity for ‘reflection, reform, and the restoration of the transparency and decency that public service and the council’s staff deserve’.

He said his decision comes after an extended period in which he has felt the need to defend both his own integrity and that of NCCC’s processes.

The local authority’s chair, Cllr Vix Lowthion, said herself and vice-chair Cllr Julie Jones-Evans cannot comment on Mr Tombleson’s letter of resignation on behalf of the council due to an ‘ongoing legal process’.

Mr Tombleson’s letter said concerns came about in the autumn of this year relating to the handling of human resources (HR) matters.

On October 17, he said he lodged a ‘formal grievance’, adhering to council policy and the ACAS Code of Practice.

Mr Tombleson submitted a second grievance on November 2 after NCCC’s ‘failure to deal fairly with the first’ and what he said was a decision to change procedures ‘mid-process’.

He said subsequent events were ‘unlawful’ and ‘deeply damaging’, mentioning several examples while his grievance was ‘live and awaiting hearing’.

Mr Tombleson said during this time he witnessed an ‘increasing lack of transparency’.

His letter said:

“The past months have placed me in an impossible position – professionally, ethically, and personally.

“I have been expected to act as the council’s proper officer while simultaneously being the subject of hostile internal decisions.

"I have been excluded from key processes yet held accountable for their outcomes. I have been asked to implement actions I knew to be procedurally wrong.

“This has not only eroded my trust in the council’s governance but also inflicted considerable personal strain.”

The statement said his commitment to integrity, fairness and transparency has been ‘repeatedly tested’ and that staying in his role would mean accepting conduct and processes that ‘violate’ those values.