Camden (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A Camden Conservative councillor has resigned following the release of footage allegedly showing him abusing and shoving Costcutter staff in Hampstead.
They allegedly refused to deliver him a UPS package without a photo ID, which sparked the altercation.
Shiva Tiwari, a councillor for Camden, is shown threatening to close the store in CCTV footage that the Local Democracy Reporting Service was able to obtain.
In the video, the councillor can be heard shouting:
“Don’t annoy me, I’m a councillor for this area, I will shut down your bloody shop, ok? Call your boss, this is a joke. I have walked here all the way from my house, get me my f***ing package.
You’ve had attitude with me before, I’ve showed you a picture of my passport. I don’t like you. I’ve got an email with my address. I don’t give a s*** if I raise my voice.”
Urging staff to call their manager because he would “not deal” with the clerk on shift, he continues:
“Get me my package. Get me my f***ing package.”
He is then seen on CCTV attempting to push past another worker in order to enter the parcel storeroom at the rear of the store.
Rakesh Bhimjiyani, the manager of the store, said that when police were called to the scene, Mr. Tiwari departed and returned approximately forty minutes later with a legitimate form of identification.
Mr Bhimjiyani said:
“Staff said they’d had enough headaches and were happy to just check his ID, and then he was on his way,”
the manager said.
The store’s 39-year-old manager blasted the claimed “abusive language and abuse of power.”
“It escalated within 15 seconds, the first words that came out his mouth were ‘I am a councillor and I will shut your bloody shop down’. People think they’re an exception to the rule these days,”
he said.
He continued:
“My staff don’t turn up to work to be physically challenged. They’re here to do a job, and we do a sterling job.”
Meanwhile, UPS was supporting them “all the way,” according to Mr. Bhimjiyani.
Officers were called to the site at 4:50 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, and spoke with both parties, according to a Metropolitan Police spokesperson.
They added:
“No persons made any formal complaints and no arrests were made. All parties were happy the matter was resolved at the location and no further police action was required.”
In March, the councillor from West Hampstead switched from Labour to the Conservatives, claiming that the party had abandoned his beliefs, which included “family values, small business, hard work, aspiration, and cohesion.”
He then became the Conservative group’s deputy leader and was chosen as the Tory candidate for Frognal in the local elections the following year.
Councillor Steve Adams, who leads the Camden Conservatives, told the LDRS on Thursday that although he was “personally upset it had come to this,” “action was in hand and the matter was being taken seriously.”
The Conservatives of Highgate and Hampstead informed the LDRS shortly after that Mr. Tiwari had been suspended.
Party agent David Douglas MBE said:
“In light of the serious allegations that have come to light, I want to clarify that neither I nor the Hampstead and Highgate Conservative Association had any prior knowledge of the reported matters. The moment we became aware, we acted promptly and collectively in unity as a team, in full accordance with the values and responsibilities expected of us.
As of today, Cllr Tiwari no longer represents the Conservatives in his role on the council. We wish him well in addressing these matters and moving forward, but our priority remains upholding the integrity of our association and the principles we stand for,”
Mr Douglas said.
Mr. Tiwari’s office announced later that night that he had left the party and would not be running for reelection the following year. Additionally, the LDRS was informed that he had apologized at the time and regretted the verbal altercation with the shop.
Councillor Richard Olszewski, the head of Camden’s Labour administration, had already demanded that his erstwhile colleague step down.
“Councillor Tiwari needs to explain what’s happening here, but on the face of this recording, this is appalling behaviour,”
he said.
“Councillors have a code of conduct and there is an expectation of behaviour on us all, which I hope is being seriously reflected on by both him and his political group. Shop workers face enough abuse without it also coming from elected representatives.”
How did Camden Council officially respond to the councillor’s behavior?
All complaints against councillors must be submitted in writing to the Borough Solicitor (the Council’s Monitoring Officer), who acknowledges receipt and determines whether the complaint warrants formal investigation based on seriousness, impact, and relevance to official duties.
If investigated, the matter is reviewed by the Standards Committee, which considers evidence, councillor responses, and the advice of Independent Persons before deciding if the councillor breached the Code.
If a breach is found, sanctions include formal reprimands, removal from committees or cabinet roles, mandatory training, public censure, or recommendation for removal from outside appointments. Serious or repeated misconduct can lead to disqualification from office for up to five years.
The Council or its Standards Committee may issue press releases or statements in the name of the committee chair to inform the public about findings and actions taken.