A Parishioner has been abusive to councillors who feel felt intimidated. Can he be banned from meetings?

Question

The emails, containing accusations of councillors lying at meetings, not having integrity etc. have been cc'd to County officials, County members and other parishioners. Councillors have been verbally abused, shouted at with similar accusations to the above, when going about private lives. Can a parishioner be prevented from attending meetings and contacting the clerk and other councillors? We have a set of hard working, conscientious councillors with high levels of integrity and openness, after a secretive, council where the contrary was true. I would appreciate any advise.

Answer 1

Properly, genuinely and openly examine what it is that the person is expressing.

Comments

He is expressing extreme anger about a  Highways situation which we have no direct control over. We are waiting for information from County.

Answer 2

It is unwise to prevent an elector from attending your meetings, but your standing orders should include a section on disorderly conduct. Ensure that your councillors are briefed on how this operates and use it calmly and professionally to silence anybody who disrupts a meeting. Once the motion has been approved, you may ask the person to leave the building if they continue to disrupt the meeting. If they refuse to do so, suspend the meeting and just sit there. At the end of the allotted time, pack up and go home. If necessary, you can call the police and you should do so if there is violence or threats of violence or damage to property.

Any matters that take place outside the forum of the council, such as verbal abuse in the street are for the individual councillors to address personally. This may include reporting to the police for threatening behaviour or harassment.

Answer 3

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68167190

Answer 4

Control of conduct during meetings of the council is the chairs responsibility and powers open to them are well documented. PC should have in place a robust complaints procedure for such complaints to be addressed and should be used to the full. PC should examine thoroughly and dispassionately whether they have responded, including the validity of the complaint and whether they have carried out their duty to respond correctly and without bias.

Direct abuse to a councillor is a matter for police to action and dependent on the level should be reported by the individual councillor as is their right.

The council would find it counter productive to seeking a solution to pre-empt a persons conduct based on alleged past actions as a reason to ban them from a public meeting and can only do so on the persons actions in-situ.

Council first check you have arrived at conclusions as you should honestly, and accurately- does this person have a case based on evidence not emotion?