The Bristol city Conservativesaid he ‘trusted Hamas more than the school’Economy and Skills Policy Committee (Monday July 28)
A top Tory councillor has been cleared of breaking the code of conduct after comparing a Bristol secondary school to Hamas.
Cllr Richard Eddy told a city council meeting in July 2025 that Cotham School ‘behaves like terrorists’ during a debate about the long-running row between local residents and the school over shared access to Stoke Lodge playing fields.
The school and Cllr Ellie Freeman (Green, Bedminster ) lodged formal complaints about the ‘false’, ‘outrageous’ and ‘deeply offensive’ comments.
But an independent investigation has concluded that Cllr Eddy (Conservative, Bishopsworth) did not breach Bristol City Council ’s rules and that he had a right to freedom of political expression for what he said.
However, the external solicitor who led the inquiry also called his remarks ‘undoubtedly offensive, unwarranted and unjustified’, and that they were ‘irrational and misconceived’.
During the debate at the economy and skills committee, Cllr Eddy said: “I’ve got no confidence in the commitments or integrity of Cotham School or its governors.
“Frankly, I prefer to trust the Hamas regime in Gaza, though arguably, they behave like terrorists do.”
It prompted gasps from councillors in the chamber and calls from Labour and Greens for Cllr Eddy to withdraw the comments and apologise, but he told one member that they could ‘whistle in the wind’.
Afterwards, the councillor doubled down on his remarks, saying they were ‘completely justified’.
Cllr Richard Eddy, (Conservative, Bishopsworth)(Image: Bristol City Council)
Now, in a decision notice seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council’s monitoring officer and director of legal services Tim O’Gara has agreed with the findings of the independent investigation that Cllr Eddy did not breach the code.
The investigator’s report said: “There is no doubt that Cllr Eddy’s comments were offensive to the school, its governors, staff, students and supporters and showed a lack of respect to them.
“Hamas is a terrorist organisation. The school is an academy, a learning institution trying to do its best for its students and community.
“The comparison of the school and its governors to a murderous terrorist organisation is entirely unjustified.
“It is disrespectful and brings his office into disrepute.”
It said this meant the remarks failed to comply with the member code of conduct.
But, the investigator added that he must also consider Cllr Eddy’s Article 10 rights under the Human Rights Act over freedom of expression.
The report said: “Cllr Eddy’s comments were offensive and entirely unjustified.
“However, they were made in the context of an issue of local interest and were a comment about his opinion on the way the school’s leadership had acted.
“Article 10 offers a high degree of protection to political expression and protects not just the substance of what is said but the manner of it.
“Therefore, although Cllr Eddy’s comments were undoubtedly offensive, unwarranted and unjustified, the high threshold for protection of political expression means that a finding that he has breached the code in making the comments would be an unlawful breach of his Article 10 rights.”
It said that although what Cllr Eddy said was ‘undoubtedly offensive’, it demonstrated his view of the actions of the school and board of governors.
The report said: “It is polemical but no-one will seriously believe that he is stating that the school is engaged in terrorist acts or violence.
“It is his, admittedly irrational and misconceived, rhetorical way of describing his view on the difficulties he believes residents have had in dealing with the school and its governors.
“People may believe that this finding suggests that a councillor can say whatever they want. It does not.
“Each case must be considered on its own facts, looking at the specific wording of the comment complained about and the context within which they are made.
“My finding is that there has not been a failure to comply with the council’s code of conduct.”
Speaking about the decision, Cllr Eddy said: “With truly scandalous behaviour by Bristol City Council – such as spying on the activities of special needs parents and the refusal to divulge the electronic correspondence of former Labour mayor Marvin Rees – it is astonishing that certain public bodies like Cotham School governors and sad, self-important local politicians seek to cow public representatives from doing their legitimate job.
“The monitoring officer’s judgement that my public comments on the behaviour of Cotham School governors did not breach the councillors’ code of conduct is commonsensical and a refreshing comment on the right of local councillors to speak truth unto power and not to be cowed into submission by those who are prepared to use the code of conduct policy for their own scurrilous ends.”