The under-fire Isle of Wight Council leader has called for an end to "threats, bullying and intimidation".
Addressing the chamber ahead of a vote on the council's budget for the forthcoming year, Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox said she was "concerned" about "unpleasantness and conflict" against those in public life.
Asked by Isle of Wight Conservative leader Cllr Joe Robertson to clarify what she was referring to, she said she was talking about the controversial reintroduction of weedkiller, Glyphosate, on the Island's streets.
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox has faced calls to resign in recent weeks, following allegations about offensive dolls in her house, as Isle of Wight Radio revealed last week.
In her leader's speech, the council leader, who was visibly emotional, said:
"At the start of each leader's report consistently remind councillors of the challenges we face. I prioritise the needs of our most vulnerable, those without homes, people in financial difficulty and people with mental and physical health issues. My aim with my amazing group is to keep prioritising those issues.
"I am still concerned that there seem to be people who think that the way to act in public life, and to try and make their case against those in public life by threats, bullying and intimidation, rather than presenting ideas with discussion and collaboration.
"For example, I know we have an issue that has caused a lot of upset. Namely, the fact that we seem to be using weedkillers on our paths and streets. There have been a number of communications to us about this. But the most helpful ones are those that have not just voiced their opposition but have suggested we look to doing the best we can by examining more selective and targeted use of pesticides or researching alternatives. Doing that will ensure we have the best chance of resolving the problem in the best possible way. Working together for the best possible solutions for our Island. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that we seem to have gone down a road in many areas based on adversarial approach, unpleasantness and conflict. We saw too much of that in the election last year.
"All we get from that is serious wasted energy, bad feeling and we get no where. That's not supporting our Island and that's not supporting our staff.
After a brief pause, Cllr Peacey-Wilcox added:
"Arguing that one side is better than yours achieves very little. Looking to the bigger picture and finding solutions and trying to help will always be my approach. That is what the electorate seem to be telling us last year. It is this sort of approach that has informed the budget which we are going to discuss."
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox also revealed she had acquired a personal alarm at Newport Police Station today (Wednesday).
“It’s reassurance", she said.
"No one should have to be in this position, but I know there are members across the chamber that have also been in this position.”
She was responding to a question from Cllr Michael Lilley, who asked what experiences she’d faced being a female in a position of power.
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