A council has lost its complaint against a newspaper which reported that its members had held a secret vote to provide themselves with ‘free’ food before meetings.

As previously reported by HTFP, the Impartial Reporter revealed that members of Fermanagh and Omagh district council were tucking into chicken curry, beef stew and other delights at the taxpayer’s expense.

The council then took the newspaper to the press watchdog, claiming that its coverage of the issue – first published under the headline ‘Gravy Train – was both inaccurate and constituted harassment.

However the Independent Press Standards Organisation has ruled that the articles in question did not breach the Editors’ Code of Practice.

The dispute centred around four articles published between April and May 2024, including one headlined ‘The Very Hungry Councillors’ which featured a cartoon of one of them as the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The authority raised several concerns regarding the accuracy of these articles, arguing that the reporting had misrepresented the information available in FoI responses and had portrayed the Council unfairly.

As well as concerns about accuracy, the Council also claimed that the Reporter’s coverage amounted to harassment, arguing that the publication of four articles on the same issue within a three-week period constituted persistent pursuit.

The Council also expressed concerns regarding the behaviour of journalists who approached Councillors for comments on the free meals.

However following an investigation, IPSO dismissed all the council’s complaints, saying there were no grounds to pursue them.

The regulator explained the harassment clause – originally inserted into the Code following the death of Princess Diana while fleeing pursuing paparazzi – relates specifically to individuals and does not apply to organisations such as the Council.

The Reporter has published the outcome of the IPSO investigation on the front page of today’s edition of the newspaper under the headline ‘Victory is Served’ with a double page spread across pages 6 & 7.

Writing in today’s edition, editor Rodney Edwards called on a council to ‘get its house in order.’

Said Rodney: “This was never really a story about free food. Yes, the Council’s decision to reinstate a policy allowing Councillors to dine on ratepayers’ money was part of the narrative, but that was not the crux of the matter.

“What we have here is a story about accountability and transparency, two cornerstones of a functioning democracy.

“At a time when local Councils are stretched to their limits and making difficult decisions about what services to maintain or cut, the public has a right to know how their money is being spent.

“This isn’t simply about what Councillors had for lunch — whether it was quiche or sandwiches — but rather, about whether they are living up to the responsibility entrusted to them by their electorate.

“At the end of the day, the people of Fermanagh and Omagh expect more from their Council.

“They want to know that their hard-earned money is being spent wisely. They want to see improvements in their local environment, in public services, and in the way decisions are made.

“They are tired of excuses, delays, and a lack of transparency.

“And they are tired of a Council that seems more interested in protecting its own interests than in serving the public it was elected to represent.

“It is time for the Council to get its house in order, to face the tough questions, and to start delivering the kind of accountability and transparency that the people of Fermanagh and Omagh deserve. And we, as a newspaper, will continue to ask those questions, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.

“Because that is our job. And we will not be silenced.”

When contacted after IPSO dismissed their complaints, a council spokesperson said: “Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is committed to ensuring that all our work is carried out professionally and
in compliance with all relevant legislation.

“The Council is a fully accountable public body whose decision making is thorough, open and transparent.”