Bracknell Councillor Defends Role After Controversy

Councillors in Bracknell have clashed over a Labour councillor keeping her senior position.

Bracknell councillors are at odds over Labour's Councillor Jodie Watts keeping her senior position after a Facebook mishap revealed a resident's medical information.

Cllr Watts, who chairs the education, skills and growth overview and scrutiny panel, apologised for the incident, but former Labour members Cherise Welch and Caroline Egglestone, now part of the Bracknell Forest Independents, have called for her dismissal.

At a recent council meeting, Cllr Welch voiced her concerns, stating that the resident affected felt his complaint was unheard and that Watts’s apology was inadequate. "Sharing any resident's medical information without permission shouldn’t have happened, especially given her training in GDPR and social media," she argued. She questioned how Watts could continue in a role that requires safeguarding sensitive information.

However, Cllr Watts received strong backing from her Labour peers. Cllr Georgia Pickering praised her dedication and passion, urging the council to reject the motion. Cllr Mary Temperton, the council leader, expressed disappointment at the motion, highlighting that while Watts made a mistake, she had been candid about it in front of a cross-party panel.

The vote ended with 29 councillors against the motion to remove Watts, seven abstaining, and only Welch supporting it, allowing her to retain her position.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter