Conservative members walk out of full-council meeting

Conservative group leader Wayne Fitzgerald was told he couldn't speak for the rest of the meeting

Most of the Conservatives on Peterborough City Council walked out of a meeting after members voted to silence the group's leader.

It happened after Labour's Shabina Qayyum asked for Wayne Fitzgerald to be prevented from speaking after he made a comment about her. 

Her request was supported by a majority of councillors, cutting off Mr Fitzgerald's right to speak.

It came during the final meeting of the full council before May's elections.

The fall-out happened during a discussion of an independent report on the council's governance and finances.

Mr Fitzgerald said he disagreed with the report's finding that the council was working collaboratively. He said there was a "rift" between the Conservatives and Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. 

Dr Qayyum raised a point of accuracy, saying there was no rift between Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens.

Mr Fitzgerald clarified that he meant the rift was between the Conservatives and the other political groups on the council, and he added that Dr Qayyum "constantly interrupts - it's a trait with her; she just loves the limelight".

'A very unwilling apology'

The Labour councillor said his words were "incredibly derogatory", and she brought a motion that he no longer be heard.

Chair Nick Sandford asked for an apology from Mr Fitzgerald, who responded that "if she's offended I'm happy to apologise, but it doesn't mean I can't think it".

Dr Qayyum then pressed ahead with her motion after labelling it a "very unwilling apology".

The motion revoking Mr Fitzgerald's right to be heard was passed 33-22, with two abstentions, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Fitzgerald then said his comment had been "proven to be true" and that he wouldn't withdraw it. 

Most of the Conservatives walked out, although the group's deputy leader, Steve Allen, remained in the meeting. He said that "political co-operation is destroyed by this in-fighting we have".

Addressing representatives of the independent improvement panel which produced the report being discussed by councillors, he said: "I must apologise to you for what you've seen here this evening. It doesn't bode well for future co-operation."

When the meeting finished a little later, with only three members of the Conservative group were still in the chamber.