Investigation launched after Dudley council chamber walkout
Dudley Council is investigating the extraordinary scenes at a meeting which led to a walkout by angry councillors.
A meeting of the full council on April 28 saw the mayor, Councillor Hilary Bills, intervene to answer a question aimed at the council’s leader from Councillor Steve Edwards of the Dudley Independent Group (DIG).
Following a spat between the mayor and Councillor Edwards, members of DIG and Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Tromans stormed out of the council chamber and are demanding an apology.
Balvinder Heran, chief executive at Dudley Council, said: “Following a meeting of the full council on Monday, the council has received representation from an elected member with regard to the chairing of the meeting.
“Our monitoring officer will be looking into this matter and reporting back to the elected members concerned.”
Cllr Pete Lowe, from DIG, confirmed the group has asked for an apology from the mayor.
The row erupted during questions to the leader after Councillor Edwards asked whether the council’s constitution should allow appeals against decisions from the chair of the council.
A motion from Councillor Edwards had not been allowed by the mayor as chair of the council, who said it would risk encouraging unlawful behaviour by asking headteacher to allow children to be taken out of school for holidays in term time.
Councillor Bills told Councillor Edwards officers had advised him of an acceptable form of wording for his question which he had chosen not to accept.
Councillor Bills also accused Councillor Edwards of ‘not telling the truth’ and added: “I have done everything according to what a mayor can do – I did the right thing.”
Councillor Tromans, the only Lib Dem to walk out is also calling for an apology.
He said: “It would be proper for Mayor Bills to publicly apologise for her conduct on Monday 28 April towards Councillor Edwards.
“Madam mayor may be a former headteacher but elected members are not to be treated like misbehaving children.”
“I am still waiting for an apology for another tirade launched against me on budget night.”
Councillor Bills told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she was not commenting at this stage.
