Concerns over Tory comments

Borough: Opposition councillors object to arguments

A group of opposition councillors have voiced their ‘deep concerns’ over comments made by two Conservative councillors during a debate about diversifying the council last week.

The discussion centred on a cross-party motion which resolves to implement education and training to create ‘an organisation open to all’ and to also identify ‘the challenges and celebrate the achievements of people of colour in the Royal Borough’ .

This week, 12 opposition councillors signed a letter to the Express (see p18), objecting to comments made during the meeting by Cllr Maureen Hunt (Con, Hurley and Walthams) and Cllr Leo Walters (Con, Bray), who both voted against the motion.

It has been signed by all the Liberal Democrats councillors, Cllr Carole Da Costa (WWRA, Clewer and Dedworth East) and Cllr

Wisdom Da Costa (WWRA, Clewer and Dedworth West).

It includes objections to the arguments made by the councillors, including the way both councillors spoke positively about the British Empire, and accusing them of ‘skirting over’ its negative impacts.

During the meeting, on Tuesday, October 27, both Cllr Hunt and Cllr Walters made five-minute speeches

outlining their objections to the motion.

Cllr Walters said the motion ‘creates division’ and is ‘an opportunity for people to be vexatious in their accusations’.

Questioning the section on celebrating achievements, he said: “Why just the people of colour? What about all the other people who, maybe, are white, why can’t we celebrate their [achievements]? I think that’s discrimination in itself.”

Cllr Hunt said she had found ‘no useful argument for this annual mandatory unconscious bias training’ and said that people should be learning about the slavery happening now, ‘not from the past’.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cllr Catherine del Campo (Lib Dem, Furze Platt) said the signatories of the letter found comments made during the debate to be ‘shocking and embarrassing’.

She added: “We wanted to make clear that we don’t agree with Maureen and Leo’s comments and that we take the matter really seriously.”

Cllr Mandy Brar (Lib Dem, Bisham and Cookham) ‘wasn’t very happy at all’ with what was said.

“The Mayor (Cllr Sayonara Luxton) didn’t stop them, she didn’t intervene,” said Cllr Brar. “And there was nothing from the leader of the council to say ‘stop, this has to stop’.”

Cllr Hunt said she received the news about the letter ‘with sadness’.

She said: “I stated at the council meeting that I believed the motion had been put forward with the best intentions and I was pleased to relate that we councillors had a code of conduct which we do have to uphold.”

She said she was concerned with the effectiveness of unconscious bias training after researching the subject, and the she was ‘surprised’ that the

‘teaching and learning about the modern day slavery was not foremost in this motion’ as this is ‘causing harm now and is a more immediate concern’.

Council leader Andrew Johnson said the mayor has governance of full council meetings as chairman and that he has ‘the same speaking rights and intervention rights as any other member of the council’.

He said: “If any member wished the meeting to be stopped they could raise a point of order.”

Cllr Walters declined to comment.