Issue - meetings

The report of the Monitoring Officer is attached.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Leisure, and Wellbeing, Councillor J Wheeler, presented the report of the Monitoring Officer outlining the importance of the LGA Debate Not Hate campaign.

He went on to call upon Council to support the campaign, highlighting the unfortunate reality that too many Councillors received abuse whilst simply doing their job and acknowledged that everyone was entitled to their own views but recognised that those could be shared respectfully.  He reminded Council about what happened if hate went unchecked and referred to the tragic deaths of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.

Councillor Inglis seconded the recommendation and informed Council that hate included everything from murder to snide comments in person or on social media.  Derogatory comments could have a significant impact on an individual’s mental well-being and the LGA campaign was an excellent step forward in addressing unacceptable behaviour. Councillor Inglis called upon Councillors to take care when carrying out their duties especially if they were doing so alone.

Councillor Chaplain noted that Rushcliffe residents were predominately well mannered and respectful, but that this did not mean that the campaign was any less important here.  She recognised that the debate in the Chamber this evening had covered very wide ranging views, but everyone had participated respectfully, and she encouraged her fellow Councillors to report any abuse experienced and get support.

Councillor S Mallender thanked the Monitoring Officer for bringing the campaign to Council’s attention and hoped that all Councillors would support the recommendation to show that the abuse seen elsewhere had no place in Rushcliffe.

Councillor J Wheeler thanked Councillors for their support and reiterated that Councillors should be able to speak in the Chamber without fear and  concluded by stressing that the Council was signing up to the campaign in support of Councillors here and across the country to show that hate would not be tolerated.

Councillor Brennan requested that a recorded vote be taken.

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, a recorded vote was taken for this item as follows:

FOR: Councillors M Barney, J Billin, T Birch, R Bird, A Brennan, A Brown, R Butler, S Calvert, J Chaplain, K Chewings, N Clarke, T Combellack, J Cottee, S Dellar, A Edyvean, S Ellis, G Fletcher, M Gaunt, E Georgiou, P Gowland, C Grocock, R Inglis, R Mallender, S Mallender, D Mason, P Matthews, H Om, H Parekh, A Phillips, L Plant, D Polenta, N Regan, D Simms, D Soloman, C Thomas, R Upton, D Virdi, J Walker, R Walker, L Way, T Wells, G Wheeler, J Wheeler, and G Williams

It was RESOLVED that the LGA campaign be endorsed and supported by signing the online Debate not Hate public statement.