Forum Topic

Four Conservative councillors stage walkout during debate

With regard to Sheila O'Reilly's alleged comment about 'no-go' areas, I have to say that a former Labour activist in Osterley told me he wouldn't let his teenage daughter go to Hounslow town centre even during the day...

Ian Speed ● 3305d20 Comments

The real headline here is the spectacle of Tory councillors finding enough spine to enable them to walk out!

Vanessa Smith ● 3303d

Phil you are entitled to your opinion.

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 3304d

How about:"We reassure all people who live in the Borough that they are valued members of the community apart from those who are intolerant of diversity of opinion, seek to undermine freedom of expression and who abuse the British legal system."?Curran would have struggled with that one, wouldn't he?

Phil Andrews ● 3304d

Thank you Sam.  Silly amendment imho.

Phil Andrews ● 3304d

The amendment to the motion"We reassure all people who live in the Borough that they are valued members of the community apart from those who are intolerant of diversity, seek to undermine democratic government and who do not accept the authority of the British legal system."See my posting above

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 3304d

The amendment that the Conservative Group wished to make that was rejected by the Labour Group read as follows;"We reassure all people who live in the Borough that they are valued members of the community apart from those who are intolerant of diversity, seek to undermine democratic government and who do not accept the authority of the British legal system."I challenge anyone to say that anything in the amendment is offensive or not basic common sense. The only people who could be offended by it are precisely those bigots who perpetrate hate crimes on their fellow residents. The original Labour motion, that was passed, stopped at the word "community". The Conservative Group believe that the amendment was important in order to make it crystal clear to those suffering from hate crimes that Hounslow Council will not turn a blind eye or provide comfort to their persecutors. The Conservative members who left the chamber were affronted by the fact that when the amendment was proposed Councillor Sampson immediately rejected it without considering any arguments in favour of it indeed before any discussion had taken place. This may be how Labour Group meetings are conducted but it is not how Borough Council meetings should proceed.  It also became increasingly apparent that almost every Labour member called to speak to the amendment i.e. explain why they could not support it instead read out pre-prepared speeches in support of the substantive motion. The amendment was effectively talked out by speeches expressing "motherhood and apple pie" sentiments that everyone agreed with BUT THAT DID NOT ADDRESS THE AMENDMENT.I stayed for the vote on the substantive motion. I voted to abstain. As I said at the time in as loud a voice as I could manage that this was because I had not been called to speak whilst many, many Labour Councillors had. As effective Leader of the Conservative Group (in the absence of Councillor Thompson) I was both hurt and offended at the discourtesy shown to me as deputy leader of the Opposition Party.  I am extremely sorry that as a Council we could not reach agreement on this matter. It is particularly unfortunate that this incident occurred at the new mayor's first full meeting (the June meeting having been cancelled for lack of business). At past meetings the Labour Group have colluded to prevent business being extended beyond the normal 10.00 pm time. This meant that an important motion from Cllr Todd relating to the governance of Lampton 360 and the poor management of the Council's property portfolio was held over from March (four months!!!).By voting to extend the meeting after 10.00 pm to discuss Cllr Sampson's motion there was already a risk that some members with day jobs and some more elderly members would leave the chamber before business was completed. All very sad.     

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 3304d

What was the nature of the amendment Guy?  Maybe it's me being thick, but it didn't come across clearly to me from your report.

Phil Andrews ● 3304d

I didn't really see it as a walkout to be honest. I assumed they just couldn't be bothered to hang around for the vote.Sam Hearn was quite measured but it did get a bit Daily Mail and denying it had anything to do with Brexit after him. I think Sam and the ones who stayed actually supported the motion but felt that the amendment would improve it. I didn't agree.

Guy Lambert ● 3304d

Walked out as a deliberate act of protest or just happened to leave the room during the debate, say to go to the washroom?  With the majority Labour currently has it's not as though the vote would have been on a knife edge.

Phil Andrews ● 3304d

No one has mentioned that Cllr Bandra Copra left the council meeting as did Cllr Hina Mir. The latter arrived late too.No doubt Sue Sampson will ask them why.....

John Todd ● 3304d

I wouldn't have had a problem supporting this motion either. However, to think that it came from two of the biggest bullies in the borough is somewhat laughable. Really, it's like a lot of things they do - it's just words and gives them a chance to grandstand, if only as much effort went in to supporting their constituents all year round! I wouldn't put too much money on the sincerity of the sentiments expressed.

Vanessa Smith ● 3304d

Guy's account was in my view a little vague on this part, and it might be helpful to the discussion if he would elucidate.

Phil Andrews ● 3304d

It may be obvious to most but I cannot really see what the Conservatives got so upset about unless the context has somehow been lost in print?

Paul Fisher ● 3304d

I have to say that I would have supported this motion had I been a member of the Council, notwithstanding the fact that I am not, to put a mildly, a fan of either Councillor Sampson's or Councillor Curran's political method - and my amazement at the chutzpah involved considering Councillor Sampson's well-documented UKIP contacts, presumably approved of by Councillor Curran who has rewarded her with senior office.One doesn't have to have been a Remain voter to be appalled by the apparent rise in racially-motivated attacks, and unless the Conservative opposition was being accused of being in some way a party to such activities, or supportive of them, I don't see how on this occasion a political point was being made.Their amendment having been voted down, the Opposition could still have supported the motion and then tabled their own separate motion at a later stage to incorporate the additional points that they wished to make.  In doing so they would have compelled Labour to have taken a position on these issues.  Instead by abstaining and/or walking out, they have sent out the message that the borough is in some way not entirely united in its abhorrence of hate crime, and this is regrettable.How ironic is it that when the "Opposition" on the London Borough of Hounslow finally plucks up the courage to become animated about something it is over an issue on which we should all be speaking as one?

Phil Andrews ● 3304d

That's genuinely interesting Guy.  My Mrs is Slovakian (came here over 10 years ago) and she hasn't experienced any hostility either pre or post Brexit, although to be brutually frank she would have voted to leave had she been entitled to because she thinks there are far too many people in the UK now (both UK citizens and immigrants).But nonetheless I still personally think it's a worthless gesture having a Council motion about such things, after all it's not like the idiots who commit such offences suddenly think "oh, Hounslow Council abhor hate crime, I shouldn't hate this person, I should love my fellow human beings".Such motions come with the territory these days, in the same way as a society we're health and safety mad, but such is the world we live in :-(

Adam Beamish ● 3304d

I supported the motion because I have had many emails from people asking me to stress the council's abhorrence of hate crime. I have also had emails from people who have been directly targeted following the Brexit vote, including two in Morrisons.The Police have reported a major spike in hate crime following the Brexit vote, though it seems this may be abating.Personally I don't give a stuff who is visiting hate crime on whom: what on earth is the relevance of the statement that "many attacks on European migrants have come from other longer established migrant decendees"? They are still attacks, and the origin of the perpetrator doesn't make them any more or less so.

Guy Lambert ● 3304d

It seems to evade Hounslow Council that the fact is the Brexit vote in the borough was very close. Far closer than in other London Boroughs and yet the borough is very diverse ethnically and culturally.Ealing, which had a much wider margin, has published a breakdown of the votes and the wards which voted leave or were very close are also the most diverse.The misreporting of some post Brexit incidents and the even more surprising revelations that many attacks on European migrants have come from other longer established migrant decendees is concerning.But the tone from Hounslow is that anyone who voted to leave is in some way either a racist or guilty of some sort of crime.Given the snide and cowardly hate methods deployed in the Labour party both by Corbyn supporters and those opposed to him. Hounslow Labour councillors only need to take a look at themselves. They either sit on the fence and turn a blind eye to bullying, manipulation and intimidation, or happily go along with it.Pot and Kettle come to mind.

Raymond Havelock ● 3304d

Bang on with every point made Adam

Paul Fisher ● 3305d

Personally I think there's no need for the motion in the first place, it smacks of political point-scoring to me.  Do I feel reassured because this was debated ? - don't insult my intelligence or be so bloody daft.And of course there's part of the Borough that you or I wouldn't want to find ourselves in after dark, but that's no different to any other Borough, and it also depends on your individual perspective - some people are completely wrapped up in cotton wool and are scared of their own shadow, others like to live on the 'edge'.Usual fuss about nothing IMHO.  Would I have walked out ? - no, but I've had sat there paying very little attention to such unnecessary waffle.

Adam Beamish ● 3305d

I was just about to start a post regarding if anyone thinks there are no go areas in the Borough and strangely enough Hounslow Town Centre especially around the Bell is one area I always try and avoid if possible day or nightAny others as Cllr Sampson seems to have taken real offence that some of us do not feel as safe as we should be in our Borough?

Paul Fisher ● 3305d