Wolverhampton 'Walter Mitty' councillor will be asked to apologise to colleagues over 'stolen valour' claim

A panel of four councillors concluded that Councillor Greg Brackenridge was guilty of four breaches of the local government code of conduct when he appeared before Wolverhampton Council's governance and ethics sub-committee. 

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The panel, made up of three Labour councillors and one Conservative, called upheld the findings of an independent investigation which found that Councillor Brackenridge had shown disrespect to the public, used his position to improperly gain political advantage, and brought both his role and the council into disrepute. He was further found to have breached the code by failing to co-operate with the investigation.

As well as formally censuring Councillor Brackenridge and asking him to apologise, the committee also recommended that he should be removed from his position on the council's equality and resources scrutiny panel, which will oversee the council's new policy of treating veterans as having protected 'characteristics'.

It also recommended that Councillor Stephen Simkins, leader of the ruling Labour group, should be asked to consider further internal disciplinary measures against Councillor Brackenridge.

Chief operating officer David Pattison told the panel it did not have the power to remove Councillor Brackenridge for : "As the law currently stands, the hearing panel has no power to suspend or disqualify the member, or to withdraw or suspend allowances, or restrict access to or use of council facilities..

"The member is required to discharge their obligation as a ward councillor, and cannot be prevented from attending meetings of full council."

A member of the council since 2014, the former firefighter is Labour member for Wednesfield South.

He served as chairman of West Midlands Fire Authority until October last year when he resigned in the wake of the allegations. He also resigned from his post as chairman of Wolverhampton's armed forces covenant board.

An investigation was carried out by Melvyn Kenyon after an un-named member of the public lodged a number of complaints. 

Some of these, relating to his role as chairman of the fire authority, were deemed to be outside the council's remit, but the claims regarding his military service were judged to fall within the scope of the authority's disciplinary framework. 

Mr Kenyon referred to an election leaflet in which Councillor Brackenridge had referred to 'my previous professional careers, firstly with the Royal Marines, and then as a local firefighter'.

In September 2021, during his term as mayor, he unveiled the Saraghari Memorial memorial to Sikh soldiers in Wednesfield, saying: "I served as a Royal Marine myself when I left my school and I worked with members of the Sikh community in the armed forces, and people from all around the world - the Nepalese and the Gurkhas."   

He was also pictured wearing a Royal Marines tie. But it later emerged that while he did some Commando training after leaving school, he never completed this and was therefore not entitled to describe himself as a former Royal Marine. 

Councillor Brackenridge told the hearing that he had spent 30 weeks going through the Royal Marine training process, but had to withdraw from it before he completed the training due to personal circumstances.

Mr Kenyon said it was his view that Cllr Brackenridge should have made it clear he never progressed beyond the 'recruit' stage, and did not 'pass out', and therefore did not serve as a Royal Marine.

Mr Kenyon concluded: "By embellishing his military service, he showed disrespect towards those who have served, been injured and died in military service and towards those whose military personnel who have lost or otherwise supported those people. 

"His words at the unveiling of the Saraghari Memorial showed particular disrespect towards members of the Sikh community for whom Saraghari Day is an annual commemoration of the bravery and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers."

He said Councillor Brackenridge had further breached the code by seeking to "increase his personal stature and to gain political advantage".

"In doing these things Councillor Brackenridge brought his own role as a Wolverhampton city councillor and the City of Wolverhampton Council into disrepute."  

The panel concluded that: 'Councillor Brackenridge’s actions were likely to have caused distress among members of the public and the Armed Forces community.'

During the course of the investigation, Mr Kenyon interviewed Col Oliver Lee, the former interim chief executive of West Midlands Fire Service, who served as a senior officer with the Royal Marines, and ex-fire officer Richard Woodward, who reached the rank of Lance-Corporal. 

Col Lee said it was inconceivable that Councillor Brackenridge would have come into contact with Gurkhas during his training.

"There is no chance he could have come across Gurkhas," he said. 

"They are part of the army, and don't go anywhere near the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. "

Councillor Brackenridge was 'administratively suspended' from the Labour Party in October last year, but was reinstated in September.