Tempers flared at an Isle of Wight Council meeting last night (Wednesday), after the leader was questioned about her alleged ownership of ‘racially offensive’ dolls.
Members of the public were kicked out of the meeting, after councillors were called ‘disgusting’ and ‘racist’.
A picture posted by the Isle of Wight Council leader in November, on her private Facebook page but now made public, supposedly showed a collection of controversial golly dolls in her house.
It was a photo of her dogs around fireworks night.
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox has denied having the dolls in her home, in a statement to Isle of Wight Radio, but the matter was raised at the full Isle of Wight Council meeting, by Conservative group leader.
Cllr Joe Robertson said:
“[In your leader’s report] you did not say a single thing about ethnic diversity, racial equality and the importance of ethnic minorities to you, this Island, this council and the country.
“Yesterday a friend of yours put on Facebook you had a collection of golly dolls for ‘as long as they can remember’. As leader of the council, please explain whether those dolls were in your home in November … Silence is not an acceptable answer.”
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox declined to answer any questions posed to her about the subject as she had ‘no prior knowledge of them’ and the issue “was not a matter about budget, or policy, nor something for which this council has responsibility.”
Chair, Cllr Geoff Brodie, said he entirely disagreed, adding the council’s equality and diversity policies were fundamental to what the authority does.
A motion was tabled by Cllr Julie Jones-Evans, calling for the meeting to be suspended as she was “witnessing harassment and bullying of a fellow member,” which was “disgraceful behaviour”.
Cllr Jones-Evans said she would not stand for bullying and that ‘misogyny was a hate crime.’ In response, Cllr Robertson called out “What about ethnic minorities?”
Watch the drama unfold at last night's meeting...
Members of the public shouted from the gallery, which led to Cllr Brodie adjourning the meeting and repeatedly telling them to ‘shut up.’
They were removed while the meeting was adjourned.
Other members of the Alliance Group left the chamber during the break, and while some returned, including Cllr Jones-Evans, four did not.
Speaking after the adjournment, Cllr Robertson said it was a racially offensive post by the council leader, with no explanation, nor apology, despite “ample opportunity”. Had Cllr Peacey-Wilcox been a leader of a London borough council, he said, she would have had to resign a long time ago.
He questioned whether the leader thought the ethnic minority population on the Island was too small for her “to be bothered” about the matter.
Further questions were posed, with Cllr Suzie Ellis asking whether Cllr Peacey-Wilcox recognised the dolls were offensive and if she would apologise for causing offence; and Cllr Warren Drew asking for an account of what happened, so the council can maintain democracy.
Cllr Drew also stressed this was not about Cllr Peacey-Wilcox as an individual but about democracy and the representation of people and said every councillor on the Conservative side of the chamber did not think she was racist in any way.
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox agreed to send written responses to Cllrs Robertson, Ellis and Drew.
Cllr Andrew Garratt, an independent Liberal Democrat representative, said he was a person who believed in investigation, explanation, understanding, forgiveness (if necessary and appropriate) and redemption.
He said it would be very interesting to hear the response sent to Cllr Robertson as the matter ‘does disturb him’.
Earlier in the meeting, Cllr Peacey-Wilcox had revealed she had a meeting with Hampshire Constabulary that day where she was given an alarm to use.
She said she was concerned for her and her family’s wellbeing and said it was not a nice position to be in, one that nobody should be.
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