Footage has emerged that shows that the Police were called to Oldham Council as a meeting remarkably descended into chaos on Wednesday evening. Local residents who attended the event were sat in the public gallery and refused to vacate the premises until questions about historic safeguarding allegations were heard. Events began to unravel after one local resident, Debbie Cole, began speaking after the deputy mayor had announced the end of the allotted public questioning time. Ms Cole simply asked about the launch of a review into the role the council and police played responding to allegations of grooming in the borough in recent years.
Ms Cole asked “Can the council please tell the residents of Oldham why an independent investigation into the historic grooming has not been sorted out and is now a review?”. An answer was not forthcoming on this question and the Deputy mayor Jenny Harrison stated, “If people impede the progress of the meeting, I’m afraid I will have no alternative but to ask them to leave.” Seemingly these comments served to fan the flames of tension and Greater Manchester Police officers were brought in to clear the residents. However, they were allowed to remain in the council chamber, where they heckled from the public benches for the remainder of the meeting.
During the permitted public question time period, Jackie Stanton, Oldham’s former Liberal Democrat deputy leader, stood up to ask a question. Ms Stanton blasted the council when She said the reputation of the borough council appears to be at an “all-time low. It continues with the extremely serious allegations of child sexual exploitation, there are allegations appearing daily on social media relating to alleged mismanagement and poor decision making by senior officers of this council. Would the leader agree all these allegations are extremely serious and damaging to the borough, will he tell us how he and the chief executive intend to deal with them, and will he tell us if he is capable of restoring confidence in the council.” Ms Stanton did receive an answer from the Council leader Sean Fielding responded: “Over the last few months there have been daily postings on social media about planning and historic safeguarding incidents. These allegations have been combined with a series of personal online attacks on councillors, residents, MPs and council officers, and often come from people with a clear political agenda. We will always take action where appropriate including the recently announced review into historic safeguarding led by Dr Mark Peel. Too often, however, the allegations and claims made online are bare-faced lies designed purely to stoke fears and score political points.”
UNN’s Oliver Down has attempted to contact Cllr Sean Fielding via email. Oliver Down asked two questions. The first was “How do you feel victims of sexual misconduct will feel about your claims?” and the second was “What next steps are the council and yourself personally taking to respond to these very serious allegations?”. Oliver Down is yet to receive a response, should this change we will be more than keen to update you.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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