Council Standards Panel to Hear Complaint From Former Mayor Against Deputy
A standards panel will meet at Hove Town Hall on Friday to consider a complaint made by former mayor Amanda Grimshaw about her deputy.
Hearing to take place at Hove Town Hall
Brighton and Hove City Council's standards panel will convene at 10am on Friday 30 October at Hove Town Hall to consider a complaint made by Labour councillor Amanda Grimshaw, who served as mayor, regarding the conduct of Councillor Ty Galvin, her deputy mayor at the time.
The allegation relates to an incident at a Sussex University graduation ceremony in July 2025. A 100-page investigation report has been prepared for the panel members but remains confidential.
Background to the complaint
Following the alleged incident, Councillor Galvin resigned as deputy mayor, effectively stepping down as mayor-elect, in November 2025. Labour subsequently suspended him from the party pending investigation.
Councillor Galvin has not disclosed details of the complaint. In a previous statement, he said: "I consider the complaint to be vexatious and I'm taking legal advice. For that reason, I can't make any further statements at the moment."
Neither the council nor the two councillors involved have publicly confirmed what the complaint concerns.
Decision on public versus private hearing
The panel will decide at the start of Friday's hearing whether proceedings should be held in public or behind closed doors. The panel comprises three councillors and an independent chair, solicitor Paul Cummins, who does not have a vote.
The decision rests with Labour councillors Lucy Helliwell and Andrei Czolak, and Green councillor Pete West, who chairs the council's Audit, Standards and General Purposes Committee.
Since May 2010, eight standards panel hearings have taken place in Brighton and Hove, with seven held in open session and only one behind closed doors. The private hearing involved investigation of allegations against former councillor Dawn Barnett.
Openness principles
The council's code of conduct procedure states that standards hearings should be conducted openly wherever possible, as part of its commitment to handling complaints proportionately, transparently and fairly.
The council faced criticism after the single closed-session hearing was described as a "kangaroo court", though public opinion could not be properly formed on the matter due to its confidential nature.
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