‘I would never intentionally upset Shirley Smart, her and Harry Rees were my friends and they came to dinner’.
That was the message from Cllr Geoff Brodie after Isle of Wight Council leader Cllr Dave Stewart said he should be ashamed of his behaviour during Wednesday’s IW Council budget meeting.
In a tweet today, Cllr Stewart wrote:
"I hope the councillor who chose to interrupt [and] upset a colleague at [full council] on Wednesday is ashamed".
The incident occurred during an emotional moment when Cllr Shirley Smart was attempting to point out the amount of work her late husband and fellow IW Councillor Harry Rees to get support for the Isle of Wight from government and the EU.
Cllr Brodie interrupted her to try to make a point of order about an amendment he wished to make to a motion being debated.
Cllr Smart was at that point becoming upset and emotional while speaking about her husband.
Cllr Brodie repeatedly called for a point of order and said his amendment had not been brought forward, he was 'once again being treated appallingly by the council' and it was a 'disgrace'.
Cllr Smart apologised to Cllr Brodie for speaking as she said she was unaware the motion was coming up and stopped talking.
Due to the meeting happening online, during pauses for councillors to read Cllr Brodie's amendment, an upset Cllr Smart could still be heard.
At the time, Cllr Brodie said he was sorry Cllr Smart was feeling distressed and did not know what was going on, saying his connection into the meeting was poor.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Brodie said:
"When I was raising a point of order on Wednesday I had no idea that Cllr Smart was talking or indeed talking about her late husband when I raised my point of order. All I had on the laptop screen was her face.
"The suggestion that I would deliberately upset Cllr Smart when she is talking about her late husband is a gross insult."
You can see what happened at the meeting, here:
By Louise Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Red Squirrel Property Shop Ventures Into Dubai Property Market
New 2024/5 Annual Waste And Recycling Guide Out Soon
Platform One Announces Winner Of 2024 Wight Noize Competition
Royal Duke To Visit As Newport Minster Reopens
Isle Of Wight Council To Support 'No Mow May' 2024
English Coastal Path Complication Amid Osborne House Queen Victoria Collection Fears
Seaview Pub Picks Up National Award
Isle Of Wight Radio Child Of Wight Awards 2024 Nominations Now Open
Fire Service Issues Water Safety And Mud Rescue Advice For Isle Of Wight
New Online Cancer Support For Local Residents
Specialist Monitoring Equipment Now Installed At Leeson Road
West Wight Runner Jackie Follows PB Marathon Run With Eastenders Appearance
West Wight Pub Can Now Be Listed As 'Asset Of Community Value'
Royal Navy 'Bomb Squad' Called To Seaview Following Ordnance Alert
Automated Gates Arrive On Wightlink’s FastCat Foot Passenger Route
Help Keep Isle Of Wight Streets Neat – Bring Your Bin In
Two Passengers Injured Following Bus Crash In Ryde
Late Night Reports Of Collision Spark Extensive Land, Sea And Air Search
Islanders Taking On London Marathon Today For Local Charities
Four Men Arrested Following Rogue Trader Activities In East Cowes
