Post nominal letters removed from Swansea Council's leader's name, because he left organisations 'years ago'

LETTERS which appeared after the name of the leader of Swansea Council on an official council booklet have been removed after it emerged he left the organisations they indicated membership of years ago.

The letters had been included on Swansea Council's website, and on a booklet available to city residents containing contact details of county councillors.

But they have been removed in recent weeks, following a Freedom of Information request submitted to the authority, questioning their meaning and authenticity.

The letters are MInstD, indicating membership of the Institute of Directors, and AIIT, representing the Associate Institute of Indirect Taxation, a body which has since merged with the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013

Their inclusion in the latest booklets has been blamed on an administrative oversight, and the authority has stressed they have not been used by Mr Phillips on his personal emails, letterheads or business cards.

The letters also appeared in the previous booklet which covered the 2008-2012 period, although it is unclear when Mr Phillips left the organisations.

However, their use has been criticised by some.

Former Uplands councillor Peter May said: "This is totally hypocritical. During the General Election campaign of 2010 I was accused by the Labour group of not having the law degree which I studied for.

"It became such an issue that the chief executive of my party, the Lib Dems, demanded I produce my degree certificate to prove that I do indeed have a law degree and to resolve the matter — which I did."

Mumbles community councillor Peter Birch added: "It is disgraceful.

"This sort of thing lowers the tone of politics in the city."

A Swansea Council spokesman said the letters had since been removed from the authority's website, and that they were being obscured from the existing councillor booklets, at no cost.

The spokesman said: "The leader has not used these letters after his name since leaving those organisations some years ago, although some previously printed materials may contain these details.

"Unfortunately, a leaflet produced by the council last July included these letters in error. This leaflet and the online version have now been amended without any extra cost."