A councillor has publicly apologised for not treating the Mayor and opposition members ‘with respect’ at a rowdy town hall meeting.
Councillor Robert Barnes, who represents the Conservative party in Chadderton South, addressed the chamber at Wednesday night’s full council meeting.
He issued a statement in which he apologised to the Mayor Elaine Garry, the council’s director of children’s services Gerard Jones and other councillors for his behaviour at meetings on June 27 and July 13.
The local authority has confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service the apology was made following complaints about his behaviour, which led to a ruling being made by the standards sub-committee.
The two meetings in the summer, which took place after the publication of a damning review into historic child sexual exploitation in the borough, were both incredibly heated with councillors and protesters in the public gallery shouting and heckling.
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In one of his speeches Coun Barnes had described the Labour group as being like ‘whited sepulchre, all clean and pure without but inside full of dead men’s bones and their despicable selfishness’.
In the June meeting he had told Mr Jones, who was part of a panel answering questions about the review, that he had sat with a ‘smug grin on his face’, adding ‘you answer to us, not the other way around’.
In July when told he had run out of time to speak Coun Barnes said: “No no no, you allowed people time, I’ll have my time Madam Mayor. I will continue.”
Mayor Garry had responded it was ‘absolutely disgraceful’ and asked him to sit down, telling him he was ‘abusing his position’.
“I will not sit down, do not tell me to sit down,” Coun Barnes replied.
Labour Coun Steven Bashforth hit back telling Coun Barnes he was ‘pandering to a lynch mob’.
Speaking to the chamber on November 2, Coun Barnes said: “Further to my comments and conduct at the council meeting on 27 June and 13 July 2022 I accept that my conduct was unacceptable.
“I failed to treat you Madam Mayor with respect by repeatedly refusing to cease talking when you requested me to do so and also refusing to sit down when requested to do so.
“I failed to treat Gerard Jones with respect in comments made about him. I also failed to treat members with respect by referring to ‘despicable selfishness’ when describing them.
“I apologise to you Madam Mayor, Gerard Jones and all the members in this chamber for this conduct and comments made. I can also confirm that I have removed the footage from my Facebook page.”
Mayor Garry thanked him for the apology.
A council spokesperson said: “Councillor Robert Barnes’ apology was the outcome further to consideration of complaints by the standards sub-committee.”
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