The official Tynwald report into allegations that John Houghton MHK had been a bully has now been published.
The Manx Independent reported yesterday that the Douglas North representative had been ordered to make a formal apology after he was found to have bullied, lied and inappropriately interfered in a staffing matter.
But Mr Houghton described the investigation by the Tynwald standards committee as an ‘institutional witch-hunt’ and a ‘stitch up’ by a ‘kangaroo court’ - and he had been given no proper opportunity to put his case.
The committee, whose report is to be debated at this month’s Tynwald sitting, had been asked by Speaker Steve Rodan in July last year to investigate ‘very serious allegations’ about the conduct of Mr Houghton after he took up the case of a member of staff who had claimed she was being bullied.
Mr Houghton was then himself accused of bullying the clerk and deputy clerk of Tynwald and Tony Wild MLC and engaging in the unwarranted interference in a staffing matter which it was claimed had precipitated the resignation of a senior member of the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office.
Recommending the MHK is required to apologise, the committee concluded: ‘During this investigation this committee has found that Mr Houghton’s challenge of process, legality, authority and indeed personal attack on individuals involved has been extensive and unrelenting.
‘That a committed member of staff has resigned from the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office giving her reasons for leaving as being the effects of the conduct of one member is something which must not be allowed to happen again.’
You can read the report in full {http://www.tynwald.org.im/business/opqp/sittings/Tynwald%2020142016/2016-PP-0073.pdf#page=286|here}
In relation to the allegations of bullying, it found: ‘There is a pattern of repeated, intimidating and malicious behaviour which certainly made one or more of the recipients feel upset and threatened and undermined their self-confidence.’
Clerk Roger Phillips told the committee that the ‘unrelenting and aggressive’ nature of Mr Houghton’s behaviour was ‘unprecedented’ in his 30-year career.
But Mr Houghton told the Manx Independent: ‘This has been revenge instigated by the Speaker because I dared to defend a vulnerable member of staff and I had the gall to make a formal complaint about the clerk and his deputy. I do act properly, I do have integrity.
‘All this evidence is a complete fabrication. If I had acted like the big bad wolf I would have held my hands up to it. This is was an institutional witch-hunt because I dared to stand up to those people.’
He described the investigation as a ‘stitch-up by a kangaroo court’ as he had not been allowed to cross-examine witnesses or call witnesses of his own.
In October 2014 Mr Houghton and Mr Wild MLC had met Clerk of Tynwald Roger Phillips to advise him they had concerns about a member of staff who they had found crying. She alleged she had been bullied by a manager.
Mr Phillips said he would investigate but advised Mr Houghton that there made be complaints made against the staff member concerned for vexatious allegations - even though she herself had not made a formal complaint.
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/mhk-accused-of-being-a-bully-1-7892506|The promotion for the Manx Independent attracted readers’ comments on the issue}
The Douglas North MHK pursued the case despite the Speaker warning him writing that it would be inappropriate for a Tynwald member to have any continued involvement.
Mr Wild, convicted of drink driving last December, said when he stepped back from the matter, Mr Houghton questioned his professionalism and accused him of cowardice.
The MLC said he felt bullied, telling the committee: ‘It is difficult to describe bullying but it is the way an individual looks at you, ignores you.’
The committee, chaired by Douglas East MHK Chris Robertshaw, concluded that the complaints made by Mr Houghton against the clerk and his deputy, Jonathan King, were vexatious.
Mr Houghton denies his actions could be construed as bullying. He said he had to act robustly as ‘sometimes you have to fight fire with fire’.
The staff member who was subsequently made compulsorily redundant and was never allowed to give evidence to the standards committee, told the Manx Independent said she felt she had been forced out of a job she loved: ‘If John had not stood up to protect me no one would.’
Mr Houghton said: ‘They’ve done this to damage my reputation and try to discredit me in front of my constituents. But my constituents know me better. I would do the same thing again.’
Some of the stories that have featured John Houghton in the past:
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/toilet-tax-is-unfair-but-we-must-introduce-it-our-hands-are-tied-1-6421865|John Houghton explains why the toilet tax had to be brought in}
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/houghton-apologises-to-mhks-over-pension-1-7006753|John Houghton was the only Member of Tynwald not paying for his pension. It came to light after an Isle of Man Newspapers investigation.}
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/outrage-in-keys-over-transsexuals-rights-comments-1-1789382|Houghton says transsexuals ‘defy common decency’}
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/john-houghton-mhk-ordered-to-leave-house-of-keys-sitting-1-6946767|The occasion Mr Houghton was ordered out of the Keys}