Councillor launches judicial review over standards decision following LGBTQIA+ event row
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A member who was found to have breached Devon County Council’s code of conduct after complaining about an LGBTQIA+ event has launched a judicial review challenge over the decision.
The dispute centres around an LGBTQIA+ event held at Exeter Library in October 2025, that reportedly featured sex education objects and images.
Cllr Michael Fife Cook had complained about the event, claiming that it placed sexualised content near to a children's art and colouring area.
In an email sent to councillors and officers, the Reform UK group leader alleged that officers "can't be trusted in safeguarding children", adding: "This makes us all complicit in promoting and encouraging sexualisation of children."
Two senior officers then made standards complaints against Cllr Fife Cook, alleging he had breached the code of conduct in relation to courtesy and respect, bullying, and compromising the impartiality of council staff.
In July this year, Devon’s Standards Committee found that he had breached the code in regards to displaying courtesy and respect, and had brought himself or his office into disrepute. It rejected the bullying and other allegations.
Cllr Fife Cook has now launched a judicial review challenge over the committee's decision, with funding from the Free Speech Union.
His solicitors, Sharpe Pritchard, have sent a pre-action protocol letter to the local authority contending that the Standards Committee’s decision:
- was irrational;
- breached his right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights;
- failed to give proper reasons; and
- showed apparent bias.
Commenting on the case online, Cllr Fife Cook said: "My job as an elected member is to highlight concerns and potential failures — including potential failures within my own council — so that they can be properly examined, lessons can be learned and appropriate safeguards can be put in place. That is why I have raised these concerns.
"I have not sought to name individual county officers or make this primarily about personal blame. My criticism is directed towards what I believe may have been a collective failure of responsibility and scrutiny."
A Devon County Council spokesperson said it would be inappropriate to comment on the case at this time.
Adam Carey
