PlEASE PLEASE SHARE we are already over 3000 signatures let’s get it to 5K 

So far Hertsmere has dismissed all the complaints against Newmark.  Let’s show them we do not forget such vile behaviour and stand together with all those that are proud to RAISE THE COLOURS. 

Recently Cllr Newmark has been seen at events with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, many think he is setting his sights on a seat in the House of Lords.   Let’s ensure The PM knows just how we the public feel about Jeremy Newmark 

HERTSMERE BOROUGH COUNCIL STANDARDS COMMITTEE

STANDARDS ASSESSMENT PANEL - 28 November 2025

ASSESSMENT DECISION

Case No: HBC/2025/008

Complainants: 5 Residents, 6 Non-Residents and 3 Councillors

Subject Member: Councillor Jeremy Newmark of Hertsmere Borough

Council

Date(s) Complaints Received: 21st September to 29th September 2025

Summary of Complaint:

The complainants between them alleged that at a meeting of the Council held on 17

September 2025 Councillor Jeremy Newmark of Hertsmere Borough Council failed to

comply with the requirements of the Members Code of Conduct in that in responding to

a question from a member of the Council, he described the organisers of ‘Operation Raise

the Colours’ and/or those persons who supported Operation Raise the Colours by

displaying the Union Flag or the Flag of St George in public places and/or those persons

who attended a ‘Unite the Kingdom’ Rally held in Central London on 12 September 2025,

as “a bunch of criminals, extremists and nonces”.

Summary of Materials Considered by the Panel

- All Complaint Forms and attachments

- Web cast of the Council Meeting held on 17 September 2025

- Wikipedia article on ‘Operation Raise the Colours’

- Apology/Clarification from Councillor Newmark published on the Hertsmere Labour

Party website on 19 September 2025.

- Daily Telegraph article published on 24 September 2025

- Representations received from Councillor Newmark

Potentially Relevant provisions of the Members Code of Conduct of Hertsmere

Borough Council

Application of the Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct applies to you as soon as you sign your declaration of acceptance

of the office of councillor or attend your first meeting as a co-opted member and continues

to apply to you until you cease to be a councillor.

This Code of Conduct applies to you when you are acting in your capacity as a councillor

which may include when:

- you misuse your position as a councillor

- your actions would give the impression to a reasonable member of the public with

knowledge of all the facts that you are acting as a councillor;The Code applies to all forms of communication and interaction, including:

- at face-to-face meetings

- at online or telephone meetings

- in written communication

- in verbal communication

- in non-verbal communication

- in electronic and social media communication, posts, statements and

comments.

You are also expected to uphold high standards of conduct and show leadership at all

times when acting as a councillor.

Paragraph 1 - Respect

As a councillor:

1.1 I treat other councillors and members of the public with respect.

Paragraph 5. Disrepute

As a councillor:

5.3 I do not bring my role or local authority into disrepute.

Members of the Standards Assessment Panel

Councillor Parveen Rani - Chair of the Standards Committee (Chair)

Mr. Geoff Corre - Independent Person

Mr. Patrick Hodson - Independent Person

(Also Present: Harvey Patterson - Monitoring Officer, Hertsmere Borough Council)

Panel Decision

That no further action be taken in relation to the complaint.

Reasons for Decision

From a review of web cast of the meeting of the Council on 17 September 2025 the Panel

was satisfied that when Councillor Newmark used the offending words “a bunch of

criminals, extremists and nonces” when responding to a question about ‘Operation Raise

the Colours’ from another councillor, he was referring to the organisers of Operation Raise

the Colours - although the Panel also noted that later in the course of his reply to the

question, Councillor Newmark also included the organisers of the ‘Unite the Kingdom’

Rally when he said “look at the individuals behind that organisation [Operation Raise the

Colours], look at the individuals behind Tommy Robinson’s event last weekend, [the Unite

the Kingdom Rally] look at their string of criminal convictions, sex offences and such like.”

As the Panel considered that the offending remarks made by Councillor Newmark were

directed at the organisers of Operation Raise the Colours and the Unite the Kingdom Rally,

no further action would be taken against Councillor Newmark in relation to any of the

complaints to the extent that they alleged that Councillor Newmark had also directed his

offending remarks to persons who supported Operation Raise the Colours by displaying

2the Union Flag or Flag of St George in public places or attended the Unite the Kingdom

Rally on 12 September 2025.

The Panel further noted that none of the persons who complained about Councillor

Newmark’s depiction of the organisers of Operation Raise the Colours and the Unite the

Kingdom Rally as criminals, extremist and nonces, were involved in or claimed to be

involved in, the organisation of these events. Indeed, it was notable that despite the wide

spread media coverage of Councillor Newmark’s remarks, no one involved in the

organisation of the Operation Raise the Colours or the Unite the Kingdom Rally, had come

forward to complain.

Not only would the Panel accord significantly less weigh to complaints made by member

of the public on behalf of third parties such as the organisers of Operation Raise the

Colours and the Unite the Kingdom Rally when those persons were capable of submitting

a complaint on their own behalf but had chosen not to do so; the Panel would also not

require Councillor Newmark to offer an apology to persons who had not complained about

him particularly if the remarks made by him were substantially true - and in this regard the

Panel noted that as a matter of fact, the principal organiser of the Unite the Kingdom

Rally, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) was as a far-right activist with

criminal convictions.

The Panel, however, could not condone the use by Councillor Newmark of the word

‘nonces’ to describe the organisers of Operation Raise the Colours or the Unite the

Kingdom Rally, which it considered to be a highly offensive and derogatory term, the use

of which by Councillor Newmark could reasonably be regarded as bringing his office as

Leader of the Council into disrepute.

In such circumstances the Panel would normally require an apology to be given but in

this regard the Panel noted that Councillor Newmark had posted an apology on the

Hertsmere Labour web site on 19 September 2025 in which, among other things, he

stated:-

“I accept that some of the language used was wrong and I am sorry for that. I also

accept that some people have ascribed a broader meaning to my words and I am

very sorry about that,”

The Panel was in no doubt that the ‘wrong’ language that Councillor Newmark was

referring to and apologising for, was the use of the term ‘nonces’.

In conclusion, because the Panel was satisfied that Councillor Newmark had directed his

offending remarks only to the organisers of Operations Raise the Colours and the Unite

the Kingdom Rally, none of whom had complained about them and had promptly and

publically apologised in writing for the use of the term ‘nonces’, the Panel determined that

no further action would be taken in relation to the complaints against Councillor Newmark.

Finality of Decision

There is no right to appeal the decisions of the Standards Assessment Panel

Distribution

In accordance with the Council adopted arrangements, copies of this decision will be

provided to:-

• All Complainants

• The Subject Member:- Councillor Jeremy Newmark

• The Subject Members Deputy Group Leader:- Councillor Christian Gray

3Signed ……………………………………………… Date 15th December 2025

Monitoring Officer – for and on behalf of Chair of the Standards Assessment Panel