Rutland told convicted councillor did not break its code of conduct

Having covered the case of Richard Alderman, I had better notice this piece in the Rutland & Stamford Mercury:

An investigation has found that disgraced Rutland councillor Richard Alderman did not breach the council’s code of conduct. 

The report by Wilkins LLP, which has been made public this week, found that Mr Alderman, was not acting in an official capacity when he posted a series of offensive comments on social media about national politicians, despite one ‘menacing post’ being made after he was elected. 

It also found that in an interview given to the Rutland and Stamford Mercury three days after being elected in July, in which he defended a post, he was not ‘conducting the business of councillor of the council’. 

The report does conclude that a comment made by Coun Alderman about MP Diane Abbott was racist.

Alderman was originally described as an Independent, but it soon transpired that he stood on behalf of the group Democracy Rutland.