Robust debate is good... but set an example

There’s nothing wrong with robust political debate. We in the media love to report the arguments that rage in the council chamber and the disagreements between politicians... that’s democracy in action. This week, and by no means for the first time in Peterborough’s recent political history, the council leader is calling on some councillors to look to their standards of behaviour. The council’s chief executive Gillian Beasley will be asked to call group leaders together to discuss bad behaviour and rudeness in an attempt to address it. Councillors - indeed any politicians - who overstep the line in terms of rudeness and bad behaviour do themselves and democracy a huge dis-service. They are elected to represent the views of those who put them there and to champion their own policies and ideologies. But they demean them when passion descends into petty name calling and childish gestures. Even worse threats and scuffles that have occurred in the past set low standards of behaviour in public life when the opposite should be the case. Councillors should all heed the need to debate robustly and act in a committed way but also in a way that displays high standards of behaviour. How can a local authority that demands big fines of anyone cycling in Bridge Street or which prosecutes fly-tippers or those who transgress its bylaws carry any respect when its own members’ behaviour falls below that which would be tolerated in any city school playground? Councillors are there to do a very important job and to set an example... it’s time we saw an end to the sort of behaviour witnessed at last week’s full council meeting. >Mark Edwards >@PT Mark Edwards