Things turned ugly at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council last night (Wednesday) — as 1 councillor said he was being bullied.
During the debate on the revised Isle of Wight Council constitution, Councillor Geoff Brodie initially proposed 6 amendments to the 275-page document, as what he called a ‘lack of consultation’ had allowed him to submit them earlier.
His first amendment, a change of wording to stop the interpretation of a point being used to remove councillors from committees by the full council and not their political group, was not accepted by council officers — despite a proposed change being agreed by Cllr Stuart Hutchinson, the councillor presenting the item.
It was explained by monitoring officer, Chris Potter, in his view of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the amendment was not valid as it sought to negate the law and was not appropriate. Cllr Brodie said he did not think Mr Potter understood what the amendment was, but the change was overruled and chief executive John Metcalfe said a detailed explanation would be sent to Cllr Brodie.
The second amendment was then put forward removing the word ‘relevant’, when it came to the term ‘independent persons’ in the constitution.
Calling a point of order, Cllr Richard Hollis brought up the last full council meeting where a councillor made an ‘unfortunate comment and got chastised for it’ and asked whether there were two sets of standards for other members as “Cllr Brodie … can be rude to everyone and no one damn well cares”. He said:
“[I have] listened to Cllr Brodie telling people they don’t care, being rude to members about the process, being rude to the monitoring officer and has quite clearly made very little attempt to understand and ask questions about this beforehand which we are all capable of doing.”
Cllr George Cameron, chair, said they did not accept rude comments but it was up to the individual to make a complaint.
Cllr Brodie said he increasingly felt he was being ‘bullied’ by the Conservative administration because he raised things relating to democracy and asked the chair to get Cllr Hollis to retract his remarks, which he considered to be bullying.
When Cllr Brodie pressed for an answer, Cllr Cameron said Cllr Brodie had made a comment which was ‘not very good’ in a public forum and that it would be dealt with afterwards.
Leader of the council Cllr Dave Stewart, said everyone should act professionally and sensibly and that Cllr Brodie made a sweeping remark that brought in 22 Conservative councillors ‘who had not said a thing’. He said:
“That is the kind of thing to me that comes across as unprofessional.”
Cllr Brodie did not put any further amendments forward because of the way he had been treated. He said:
“This is an undemocratic council that wishes to railroad through this constitution and I will withdraw any further amendments. It is a sad day when a member cannot make amendments without being bullied by the administration.”
The constitution was later approved.
Yet again IW Council seeks to stifle all criticism and supress all scrutiny.
Democracy is dead on the Isle of WIght, despite the best efforts of the few like Cllr Brodie who do their best to defend it.
The time for change is long overdue – let’s make sure it happens at the next elections (but don’t be surprised if they are delayed by the incumbents). Please can we have some candidates we can have faith in and respect for? Please?!
They’ve always been ugly as sin.
Just vote them ALL out next time. We can not do worse.
Ah, but we can. Voting them back is the worst possible result as that will merely confirm that they are fireproof and can continue to do whatever takes their fancy without reference to the electorate, let alone legality or decency.
But to vote them out means voting someone else IN. Where are the better candidates???
The most untrustworthy council we have ever had the misfortune of having.
Vote this whole cesspool out as soon as we can.
They will never change only get worse.
These people need to go, and soon.
The longer they remain ‘in’ the more they will pressure those not in the suspect clik to be silent.
A new council will take time to build up such a likely corrupt group.
Geoff Brodie was kicked out of the IoW labour group by the champagne socialists. If they took over the island council, nothing would change.
Sigh. More Tory fascism.
IF you care for wildlife, beauty, less traffic, less crime, less anti social behaviour, less of your council tax wasted and ill spent, then ensure YOU vote to remove these disgusting, greedy, and most likely very corrupt council at your next given chance.
HH
“But to vote them out means voting someone else IN.”
NO it doesn’t.
Don’t vote for anyone if you don’t want to.
If you don’t vote you don’t have the right to complain about issues affecting the island and it’s future. So basically, you don’t care then????
The council thrives on bullying, particularly with older members of staff. In one dept 3 people left through bullying by management, when complained to HR they were told ‘the council does not bully’. One person was paid off when she got a strong case after suffering a breakdown.
The council ought be very careful whom it upsets. As unless you are squeaky clean, which all may not be, then with cameras, recordings etc, it doesn’t take much imagination to see that those bullied could soon submit such findings to the fraud office if any councillors have been tempted.
Whilst such may implicate themselves, whistle blowers where public cash is concerned are treated right by the courts. Just a thought, and remember even private businesses run by people in high places have many ex employees willing to chat too when backed by photographs and audio.
So if not careful the bully becomes the bullied nowadays. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch.
Vote them out.
Can you name those who are bullying, be interesting to know who it was and follow this up !!
Maybe the people who pay their council tax should start bullying back at the council. Anyone got a muck spreader handy ???????
So you think bullying is acceptable?
If you don’t fight for your rights, you lose them. Are you a snowflake the Caulkhead?
Now Now children
you think this lot is bad i can remember when the liberal party ran the council this lot are angels compared to the lying cheating scumbags called the liberal party the damage they did to the island and it was the conservative who got the island moving now they have gone bad as well