'Walter Mitty' Wolverhampton councillor yet to issue apology, a month after being ordered to do so
A former mayor of Wolverhampton who falsely claimed to have served as a Royal Marine has yet to issue a formal apology to his colleagues, more than a month after he was ordered to do so.
Councillor Greg Brackenridge was ordered to make a public apology after being found in breach of Wolverhampton Council's code of conduct at a hearing on July 28.
He was immediately suspended by the council's Labour group after being found guilty of four breaches of the councillor's code.
Councillor Brackenridge, a member of the council for 11 years, was found to have 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.
In an election leaflet Councillor Brackenridge had referred to "my previous professional careers, firstly with the Royal Marines, and then as a local firefighter". And 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 the course and was therefore not entitled to describe himself as a former Royal Marine.
It later emerged that he had signed up for Royal Marine training, but had not completed the course and was therefore not entitled to describe himself as such.
The Walter Mitty Hunters Club also accused Councillor Brackenridge of wearing a Gulf War veterans badge from the 1991 conflict to liberate Kuwait.
Councillor Simon Bennett, leader of the opposition Conservative group on Wolverhampton Council, said Councillor Brackenridge had effectively turned down an opportunity to draw the matter to a close.
"It's disappointing that Councillor Brackenridge has not felt compelled to do what was asked of him by the standards sub-committee," he said.
"This could have been a book-ending of the situation, as far as his role as a councillor was concerned. He has chosen not to even bother to meet a reasonable request. I find that disrespectful to the sub-committee that came to that decision.
"We're now a month on, and he still hasn't published that apology. I find that disrespectful."
Councillor Brackenridge, who is married to Wolverhampton North East MP Sureena Brackenridge, said that he had spent 30 weeks going through the Royal Marine training process, but had to withdraw before he completed the course due to personal circumstances.
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 unnamed 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.
The council's governance and ethics committee will discuss Councillor Brackenridge's case when it meets tomorrow (September 4).
Councillor Brackenridge was contacted for comment.
