The Human Rights Act has helped improve openness in one local council at least.

The leader of Congleton Borough Council has been investigated for breaking the local government codes of conduct. A report was drawn up by an independent investigator.

Jeremy Condliffe, editor of the Congleton Chronicle, told the Society of Editors: “We attended the release of the report, fully expecting it to go into part three of the newly-formed Standards Committee agenda. Councillors had to vote on whether it went part three or not.

“However, at the start of the meeting, the council announced that under the Human Rights Act, there was no reason why the report should NOT be read out in public, unless councillors had strong objections.

“None did and it was all read out – with our reporter the only one there.”