Conservative group says offence unrelated to council duties as Labour seeks resignation
Milton Keynes Conservatives have strongly rejected calls from the city’s Labour group for the resignation of Councillor Peter Geary after he pleaded guilty this week to offences connected with agricultural and livestock management. The party says the matter relates to farming record-keeping and does not affect his role at Milton Keynes City Council.
Cllr Geary was sentenced at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling more than £5,400. Labour immediately said the conviction made his position untenable, but the Conservative Group Leader, Cllr Shazna Muzammil, has defended him and argued the conviction does not meet the statutory threshold for automatic disqualification from council office.
“Peter Geary is now a convicted criminal and he must resign his seat,”
The Labour statement went on to say: “His conviction of a criminal offence while sitting as a local councillor is totally incompatible with continuing to be an elected representative.” Conservatives responded by saying the offences arose from regulatory failures around record keeping and were being presented by Labour as a question of Mr Geary’s integrity as a councillor.
In a public rebuttal, Cllr Muzammil said: “Peter got his farming records wrong. He has admitted that, pleaded guilty and faced the consequences. I am not going to pretend otherwise.” She added that none of the matters prosecuted related to his conduct as a councillor, the exercise of public office, his treatment of residents or his responsibilities at the city council.
Legal threshold for disqualification
The Conservatives pointed to Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972, noting that a conviction only triggers statutory disqualification if it results in an imprisonment sentence of at least three months (whether suspended or not) without the option of a fine. According to the Conservative statement, the penalty Mr Geary received—a fine—does not meet that threshold.
| Outcome | Details |
|---|---|
| Court penalty | Fines and costs totalling more than £5,400 |
| Statutory disqualification threshold | Imprisonment of 3 months or more (suspended or not) without option of a fine |
Local political fallout
The episode has prompted criticism from other local parties. The Liberal Democrats said the Conservative leader’s conduct looked like double standards, pointing to an earlier motion she brought to the council calling for high standards in public life and saying senior figures should set an example.
For residents, the dispute raises two separate questions: whether disciplinary or ethical standards for councillors should reflect wrongdoing outside council duties, and how consistently parties apply their own rules when members are charged or convicted.
- Timeline: Cllr Geary pleaded guilty at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court this week and was fined.
- Labour’s position: Calls for immediate resignation on grounds a conviction is incompatible with being an elected representative.
- Conservative response: Defence of Cllr Geary, arguing the conviction concerns farming records and does not trigger statutory disqualification.
The Conservatives also accused Labour of ignoring instances where more serious cases have involved Labour councillors, arguing that the political response has been uneven. Their statement reiterated that the specific legal test for disqualification was not met in this instance.
Neither the court ruling nor the statements from local parties change the fact that Cllr Geary has been convicted. The political consequence now hinges on whether the Conservative Group will take any internal disciplinary action, whether Labour presses for further steps through the council’s standards framework, and whether residents and political opponents will press for a by-election or other remedies.
As the story develops, residents in Milton Keynes will be watching for any formal motion at the council or a change in party position that might affect Mr Geary’s status as an elected member.
