A complaint accusing three Brent councillors of breaching the code of conduct by attending a foodbank has been rejected, with a report concluding the visit was to "lend support" rather than being a political stunt.
GLA election candidate and Dudden Hill representative Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt, Alperton representative Cllr Trupti Sangani and Harrow councillor Ajay Maru attended a surplus food market at Alperton Baptist Church, organised by Sewa Day, on January 9.
In a Facebook video, Cllr Butt, wearing a face mask and surrounded by the three socially-distanced councillors, tells people Covid is the "worst pandemic ever" and that "it's a shame we live in a society where so many people are dying, so many people are without".
He then tells listeners to support Cllrs Hirani and Cllr Sangani, prompting claims of electioneering.
Paul Lorber, former Liberal Democrat council leader, filed a code of conduct complaint, accusing the councillors of deliberately organising the visit to the centre in Ealing Road so they could "take a group photo for party political purposes".
GLA candidates from opposition parties suggested Cllr Hirani consider his position as Labour candidate in May's Mayoral and City Hall election, with the Conservatives' Molly Samuel-Leport MBE calling for his disqualification.
Debra Norman, Brent Council's monitoring officer, said in her report: "I do not consider that the facts demonstrate, on the balance of probabilities, that there has been any breach of the Code."
She said their attendance at the foodbank "was as representatives of the council" and that she accepted their intention "was to lend support to the food bank by assisting on the day and by providing additional PPE and to highlight the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on food poverty".
Cllr Butt has demanded an apology from Mr Lorber and Lib Dem GLA candidate Anton Georgiou.
He said: "Every single allegation that was put forward by Paul Lorber was rejected, and rightly so. All the claims and allegations were malicious and spurious."
"He has hindered in my opinion the good work that we were out there to do; he has blighted the good nature of the volunteers and the organisations that are working so diligently to provide the much needed help and support."
He added: "Paul Lorber owes us an apology to the three of us for the unfounded complaints, which were dismissed.
"Anton Georgiou owes an apology to the residents of Alperton and Brent for not making that 100 per cent commitment to them and for trying to run away to City Hall so that he can be closer with his parliamentary colleagues in Westminster, where his true ambition probably is."
Mr Lorber had a complaint against Cllr Butt and Cllr Sangani upheld last year after they "inadvertently" attended a prayer meeting in a mosque in June when lockdown guidelines did not permit it. The two councillors were told to apologise.
Mr Lorber has 10 days to respond to the monitoring officer, but said he will not apologise.
"What is very clear from the photographs and videos showing four Labour councillors gathering in Ealing Road on January 9 is that their main objective was to take photographs of themselves for a photo opportunity and to promote the GLA candidature of Cllr Hirani," he said.
"The Labour Leader and his councillors should stop lecturing us about staying at home why they ignore basic rules and put other residents at risk by their irresponsible behaviour."
Cllr Georgiou added: "I think most Brent residents will agree with Paul Lorber that Cllr Butt was highly irresponsible to go and pose for a photo opportunity with Cllr Hirani, Cllr Sangani and another Harrow Labour councillor on the Ealing Road just two weeks after having the virus himself. Cllr Butt has repeatedly told local people to stay at home, in order to stop the spread of Covid 19 in Brent.
"There is nothing worse than a politician who tells others how to behave and then does the opposite because it suits his political ambitions, or desire for publicity."
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