Slough Conservatives storm out of "farcical" council meeting

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the council decided to host the extraordinary full council meeting on January 18 at Herschel Grammar School for social-distancing purposes.

A motion put forward by Cllr Harjinder Gahir (Lab: Wexham Lea) was to urge the government to remove clause nine of the controversial Nationality and Borders bill, fearing it could create “second-tier” citizens.

Under this bill, which is currently being reviewed by the House of Lords, clause nine will give the government power to remove someone’s British citizenship without notice.

Home Secretary Priti Patel

Protesters believed this will disproportionately affect those from a Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background compared to white Britons.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Gahir said: “It [the bill] has created widespread fear into our community and has sent a signal to all non-white British citizens that they are somehow less British in this country.”

The Home Office said this will only be applied in “very limited circumstances,” such as in cases concerning convicted terrorists, spies, and war criminals. This does not affect the right of appeal.

But the Slough Conservatives slammed the motion as a “farce” and a “waste of time”. Three Tory councillors stormed out of the assembly room, the two other Conservative councillors were not present at the meeting.

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The leader of the opposing Conservatives, Cllr Dexter Smith (Colnbrook with Poyle) said Labour was “mispresenting” the bill, reiterating that this will only be used in “exceptional circumstances”.

Cllr Smith slammed the Labour group for “tacking” the motion on by having another extraordinary meeting, citing the group could have put forward the motion at another council meeting or by emailing the opposition.

He said: “This is farcical, a waste of money, and a waste of members time. I encourage people to show their disapproval by leaving as I am.”

Labour councillors were heard mocking the Tory group for “running away” and asking how they would have voted.

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Walking out of the meeting, Cllr Smith shouted: “Shame on you for wasting money.”

Council leader James Swindlehurst (Lab: Cippenham Green) denied this meeting was costing the taxpayer, adding: “We simply called this meeting back to back to get this motion heard in a timely fashion because we don’t yet know when the bill will go to the Lords and return to the Commons and it could well be next week, before January 27.

“This was timely, and it certainly does not cost us anything to be here five or ten minutes then we would have been anyway.”

Labour backed the motion where the council will send a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, urging her to remove clause nine from the bill and “work with local authorities and communities to build a fairer and more effective asylum system”.