An outspoken councillor could face disciplinary action for accusing colleagues of behaving like Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe over plans for a travellers’ site.

Labour councillor Craig Turton will today be reported to Brighton and Hove City Council’s standards committee watchdog by Conservative councillor Brian Oxley.

The East Brighton councillor made the controversial comments to The Argus in July after the Tories refused to allow members of the public to ask questions at or hand over petitions during a special cabinet meeting.

At the meeting, councillors approved plans to build a permanent travellers’ site with up to 14 pitches at Sheepcote Valley in Whitehawk, Brighton.

Coun Turton said: “Such dodgy anti-democratic practices have more in common with Zimbabwe than Brighton and Hove.” In a letter addressed to Alan McCarthy, council chief executive, Mr Oxley said Mr Turton had breached the code of conduct by bringing the authority into disrepute.

He said: “It is ludicrous to compare the actions of Brighton and Hove City Council to ‘the antidemocratic practices of Zimbabwe’.

“Clearly nothing could be further from the truth and I think the use of such language is both deeply objectionable and a deliberate attempt to smear the name of the council.

“The truth is that the arrangements for special cabinet meetings are set out by the council’s constitution, which was approved by all the political groups that make up the council.”

But Coun Turton believes the Tories reported him in revenge after their decision to build the site was called in for review by the environment and community safety overview and scrutiny committee in August. He said: “I’m not alone in thinking that Oxley’s decision to make a formal complaint has been influenced by the embarrassment caused to the Conservatives by my call-in request.

“Complaints to the Standards Board should relate to substantial issues and not to attempts at political mischief-making.

“Given the credit crunch, I’m sure taxpayers would prefer to see the valuable time of the chief executive and other officers being spent more productively than on disagreements of political opinion.”

Coun Oxley said he would post the official complaint today. A date for the standards committee hearing has not been set.

Do you think Councillor Turton should be censured? Let us know below.