A fiery exchange broke out between the chair of the Isle of Wight Council and an independent councillor at a full council meeting earlier this week (Monday).
Tensions reached a crescendo in a procedural clash between councillors Ian Dore and Peter Spink, with the former exclaiming: “we’re not having a ding-dong over this!”
Voices were raised as councillors tackled an agenda item on assessing council-owned sites, including former school land and the old driving test centre, for delivery of social rent housing.
Confusion and disagreement ensued over process and Cllr Spink, Empowering Islanders representative for Freshwater North and Yarmouth, raised a point of order.
Independent councillor and chair Dore cut in:
“On what procedural rule is it Cllr Spink, or the law?
“We’re not going to have a ding-dong when we’re going to go to the vote following Cllr Love’s motion.”
Cllr Spink said:
“You can’t disclose a reasonable point down in this way.”
Cllr Dore asked what the procedure rule was, to which Cllr Spink responded that he did not know the rule.
“Then we’re done, aren’t we. Press your button and we’re finished,” the chair added.
The councillors started cutting across each other in a heated stand off on the council’s constitution.
Cllr Dore said:
“We can move to silencing, or we can just debate properly.”
Cllr Spink said:
“I am debating properly…I am,”
Cllr Dore said.
“You’re not. You’re not,”
“We’re not having a ding-dong over this. You’ve not been able to quote the procedural rule, and you’ve not been able to back up the law behind it.
“So please, I’m asking you to knock it off.”
“It’s a disaster,” Independent Socialist Cllr Geoff Brodie later said, adding that a “farce” had been allowed to happen.
Shortly after the altercation, Cllr Dore adjourned the meeting, saying he did not feel well.
Around 10 minutes later, he returned to the chamber and after the agenda item was wrapped up, he left the meeting and handed over to vice-chair Vanessa Churchman.
Clarifying why he left the meeting, Cllr Dore told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he was not feeling well and “in hindsight, should not have tried to chair while unwell.”
The council’s recording of the meeting can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfYcjBiOZgg.
Clowns!
They really deserve to be voted out come May. The hours that have been wasted in pompous argy bargy and cries of ‘points of order’ ought to be docked from the Cllrs allowances. Our council taxes are squandered on the childish antics.
Who will replace them though!
Isn’t the answer in counsel’s Standing Orders
Children children, show some decorum.