Crawley councillor hits back after ‘classroom’ remark at council meeting
A reminder to a Crawley Reform councillor that he was ‘in a professional meeting and not a classroom’ has prompted an exchange of words.
During a meeting of the borough council’s planning committee on October 22, James Tidy (Ref, Pound Hill North & Forge Wood) was called on to speak by the chair Tahira Rana (Lab, Langley Green & Tushmore).
As he had earlier made a political comment on what was a non-political committee – leading to raised voices and the threat of a complaint – she made the reminder no doubt in the hope of preventing a repeat.
But, speaking after the meeting, Mr Tidy read an ulterior motive into her words.
He said: “The chair’s statement just goes to show the dislike her party has for young people in politics. I have not heard them use this phrase before and it was clear that this comment was made as I am currently the youngest councillor in the council.
“We need to encourage more young people into politics, but why would they want to when Labour councillors will use their age to attack them?”
Michael Jones, leader of the council, had no time for such a view, defending Ms Rana as having chaired the meeting ‘calmly and fairly to everyone’.
He added: “Given Cllr Tidy’s own poor behaviour at Thursday’s meeting, he’s in no position to give lectures to other planning committee members, particularly the chair.
“This has nothing to do with his age. We have plenty of younger councillors who are perfectly capable of behaving in a measured and reasonable way during meetings – and do not make unsubstantiated accusations about other members.”
The political comment made by Mr Tidy suggested that Labour councillors on the planning committee were hoping to gain votes by allowing a faith school to be built next to a mosque.
Mr Jones said: “Everyone has to observe the same standards of behaviour, regardless of age and perhaps Cllr Tidy needs to reflect on that.”