Man arrested for asking councillors a question . . .

[DRiddle]

http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk/media/untitled 12.avi

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/man-wrestled-out-of-local-council-meeting-after-asking-councillors-a-question-a6719641.html

Next thing you know they'll be ringing your boss at work. 

[steveL]

Someone might correct me here but I think when anyone other than the Police man-handles a person like this then it's technically classed as assault.

[fred c]

If you are requested to leave a council meeting & you refuse, they only option for them is to call the police to remove you, anything else including the use of a council security guard to physically remove you, can be construed as assault.

I think that bloke would be well advised to consult a solicitor...... apart from owt else he could have suffered an injury the way the nazis hauled him out.

Makes you wonder what Ms Alexanders course of action will be if there is any cause for public dissent in the chamber....or..... when Cranney takes the reins & members of the public refuse to stand when he enters the chamber

[DRiddle]

I think it's 100% certain some members of the public won't stand if Councillor Cranney is required to step in as chair of the council. It's really just a case of how many won't stand.

I think there will also be councillors questioning the merits of standing. I was quite bemused at the time of the recent report into 'standards' within the chamber. What was supposed to be a report into filming meetings evolved into something which was never mentioned in the initial motion at all.

Looking at it now, it makes sense that it was a 'preemptive strike' to try and stop another situation where the public don't stand for the chair. It won't work. You can't force people to show respect to someone. It's the old adage of respect needing to be earned.

Has he earned it? Well, I guess the members of the public in attendance at the meeting will be the judge of that.

[steveL]

The argument put forward by Gill Alexander is that people are asked to stand, not for the person, but for the Mace which is a representation of the Crown. However, I'm afraid this argument falls at the first hurdle because the words used at the beginning of every meeting of the full council are . "please be upstanding for his/her worshipfulness The Mayor."

In SAB's case, that just wasn't going to happen. People have far too much self-respect and respect for the Mace, funnily enough, to pay homage to someone who has consistently proven himself to be a pathological liar. It was SAB's behaviour which insulted the mace; not the public.

People seem happy enough to stand for Mary Fleet but a leech like Cranney would be a totally different matter. The only time I'll stand for Cranney is to get a camera shot through the G4 Van window as he's carted off to Holme House.

[fred c]

The argument put forward by Gill Alexander is that people are asked to stand, not for the person, but for the Mace which is a representation of the Crown. However, I'm afraid this argument falls at the first hurdle because the words used at the beginning of every meeting of the full council are . "please be upstanding for his/her worshipfulness The Mayor."

In SAB's case, that just wasn't going to happen. People have far too much self-respect and respect for the Mace, funnily enough, to pay homage to someone who has consistently proven himself to be a pathological liar. It was SAB's behaviour which insulted the mace; not the public.

People seem happy enough to stand for Mary Fleet but a leech like Cranney would be a totally different matter. The only time I'll stand for Cranney is to get a camera shot through the G4 Van window as he's carted off to Holme House.

I understand that Ms Alexander & Peter Devlin are fully aware of the reasons why members of the public refused to stand when Lying Ste entered the Chamber, the situation does not arise when the Mace & Cllr Fleet enter the chamber.

[Hartlepudlion]

I wonder if Kieth Fisher would have been manhandled if he had refused when asked to leave.