Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to decline a motion for debate. This is because we cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants. It is a matter for the Council’s elected members to decide what policies should be debated and adopted.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about the Council’s consistency and principles in relation to its foreign policy engagements. He said it chose to remain silent on the suffering in Gaza and did not approve a motion for debate. He said constituents deserve to know where its elected representatives stand.
2. He said he has been alienated from his community and does not trust the Council represents all constituents fairly. He wants the Council to allow proper debate to protect free expression and democratic engagement.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. We will not investigate this complaint for the following reasons:
• It is not the Ombudsman’s role to influence or make decisions on Council processes. We are an impartial organisation and cannot be involved in a Council decision making process and therefore cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants.
• It is a matter for the council’s elected representatives to decide the issues which they want to put forward as Council policy and Mr X would have to lobby members if he wishes to have them promote his suggested motion.
• We will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures by an organisation. In addition, we will not normally investigate a complaint where the complainant is using their enquiry as a way of raising a wider community campaign about something of general concern, but where they have not suffered injustice.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is This is because we cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants. It is a matter for the Council’s elected members to decide what policies should be debated and adopted.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman