Councillor censured over golly joke

Bristol Council says its reputation was damaged

A Bristol councillor who resigned as deputy leader of the city's Conservative group in a row over a golliwog, has been formally censured.

The council's all-party standards committee said Richard Eddy breached the authority's code of conduct for elected members.

Mr Eddy resigned as deputy leader in September after adopting a golliwog as his political mascot.

He claimed the doll was a victim of political correctness and should be given sanctuary on top of a filing cabinet in his office.

Councillor Eddy thought the doll was harmless

Complaints were made to the standards committee by the council's deputy leader Diane Bunyan, the GMB union, Bristol Race Forum and the city council's black and other minority ethnic employees group.

Mr Eddy said: "I very much regret the embarrassment it has caused both to my party and indeed to friends and others in the ethnic minority community who may have got the wrong end of the stick."

The committee chairman, Bob Maggs, said: "It is quite clear that Councillor Eddy's actions have caused great offence to many people in the city, including residents, other councillors and council employees.

Racist language

"On this occasion, his behaviour did not meet the high standards we expect of our elected representatives and has damaged the city's image nationally."

The committee ruled that a report should be submitted to the next meeting of council requesting that full council denounce the use of racist language and behaviour.

The committee also called for all elected members to undergo equalities training within the next six months and any new member to have training within six months of election.