CONVICTED sex pests will be sacked immediately from elected office under an urgent law change, ministers have vowed.
The plan is being drawn up by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner after The Sun’s revelations about flasher councillor Sam Gould.
Ray CollinsSex pests like Sam Gould will be sacked immediately from elected office under an urgent law change[/caption]
GettyThe plan is being drawn up by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner[/caption]
PAShe held talks over slashing the red tape blocking the councillor’s removal with Health Secretary Wes Streeting[/caption]
She held talks over slashing the red tape blocking his removal with Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who had employed the 33-year-old as a senior caseworker.
Gould has been sacked as a senior aide but is refusing to quit as a Redbridge councillor, despite pleading guilty to two counts of indecent exposure.
In one case, the ex-parliamentary candidate exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl and followed her.
The teen banged on doors for help as she was pursued and is now scared to leave the house.
An ally of Mr Streeting last night said: “Wes is disgusted that unless Gould resigns he remains a councillor as there are no powers to remove him. He’s spoken to Angela who’s already on the case.”
Shamed Gould was pictured breaking cover yesterday for the first time since his sexual offences were uncovered by The Sun.
He left home hiding under his hood — despite it not raining.
Later, Gould scurried inside when asked whether he would apologise and whether he would resign from Redbridge Council.
Despite his guilty pleas, Gould is still an elected member of the council in East London, where he is eligible for £10,138 of taxpayer cash a year in allowances.
The Health Secretary yesterday met Ms Rayner to fire the starting gun on changing the law.
Fresh legislation to stop perverts continuing in elected roles will form part of a wider package on improving standards in public life.
A source stressed Mr Streeting was on standby to meet the mother of Gould’s victim if she would want to speak with him.
Outrage at Gould’s refusal to stand down showed no sign of abating yesterday.
Kam Rai, leader of Redbridge Council, said: “The law needs to be changed so that people who commit serious crimes while in office, especially ones like this of a sexual nature, are able to be removed from their role immediately.
“It is a privilege to be entrusted to represent your community and in this case it has been shattered.”
An ex-colleague of Gould, who worked with him in Mr Streeting’s office, said: “I’m shocked and appalled, and it’s disgraceful that there’s no mechanism in law for him to be removed from his elected role.
“His constituents deserve far better.”
The past five years has seen the Commons tarnished by a string of sex pest cases in which the perpetrator has refused to resign immediately from taxpayer-funded roles.
Tory MP Peter Bone and Tory Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher were among those who refused to go.
A spokesperson for Ms Rayner’s Ministry of Housing and Local Government said: “Councillors committing serious misconduct must be held to account.
“This government is taking robust action with new plans being drawn up to introduce powers of suspension for serious code of conduct breaches.”
MPs WHO DIDN’T GO
Peter Bone: In October 2023, the veteran Tory was suspended for bullying and sexual misconduct with an aide but stayed an MP until recalled two months later.
Chris Pincher: The Tories’ Deputy Chief Whip groped two men at a club in June 2022 but did not quit as an MP until September 2023, receiving a taxpayer-funded salary of almost £100,000.
David Warburton: The married Tory snorted cocaine, stripped naked and groped a woman’s breasts in April 2022 — but stayed an MP until June 2023.
Imran Ahmad Khan: The Tory MP was charged with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy in June 2021 but did not resign as an MP until May 2022 — weeks after being convicted in court.
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