Councillor branded mayor "lamb dressed as mutton" on Facebook (From Southend Standard)

Councillor branded mayor "lamb dressed as mutton" on Facebook

7:40am Friday 2nd November 2012 in Echo News By Jon Austin

A councillor branded Basildon mayor Mo Larkin “lamb dressed as mutton” on Facebook, it has emerged.

Details of “offensive remarks” made by teacher Phil Rackley have just emerged following a year-long misconduct probe.

During a Basildon Council investigation Mrs Larkin also accused Mr Rackley of being involved with the Artzi Parti Facebook page which “makes personal attacks” on Tory councillors and portrayed her in photographs as a “prostitute” and a “gangster’s moll”.

Mr Rackley, a Labour St Martin’s ward councillor, denied involvement in Artzi Parti, but admitted the Facebook postings branding the "satire" and a "jibe".

He will learn his fate at a council standards hearing on Tuesday. An agenda published ahead of the hearing said the former Basildon Labour group deputy leader was found to have breached the members’ code of conduct by not showing Mrs Larkin respect.

Mrs Larkin said during the investigation: “Councillor Rackley’s contribution in such personal terms encouraged other people to make further personal attacks on me which I found very intimidating and bullying."

Councillors at the standards committee will vote if they agree with the monitoring officer’s findings and then what if any action to take. Sactions can include being barred as a councillor, suspended, warned or made to make an apology or undertake training.