'Sexist' storm as Tories vote against Lancaster City Council diversity plan

Tensions rose during a town hall debate when the Tory leader accused a Labour councillor of making a "sexist remark" - then Conservatives voted against plans to improve diversity on Lancaster City Council.

Councillor Andrew Gardiner angrily rebuked Councillor Joanne Ainscough for calling him a "middle-aged white male" during a meeting at Morecambe Town Hall.

Councillor Ainscough made the comment during a speech backing calls for more diversity on the council - and later apologised, saying she hadn't meant to offend the Tory leader.

The Conservatives were the only group to vote against a resolution for the council to "demonstrate an open and welcoming culture to all" and appoint a new council Diversity Champion.

This came after Councillor Gardiner said: "I really get wound up when people tell me I've got to be diverse. Everyone is equal."

Councillor Phillip Black, leader of Lancaster City Council, replied: "You've got to realise that saying that you see everyone exactly the same is a position of extraordinary privilege and while you think that is a noble sentiment, it is absolutely not."

WHAT HAPPENED

The debate at Wednesday night's meeting came after Labour's Councillor Jean Parr asked for fellow councillors to back her plan for Lancaster City Council to be more diverse.

Towards the end of the debate, Councillor Gardiner (pictured below) said: "I remember (former Tory minister) Ann Widdecombe speaking and she said she would like to be elected on merit, not because of what she looked like, who she was; sex, creed or colour. That's the way I look at things.

"Everyone is equal. We are all born and we all die. 

"When we select from our Conservative group, I don't look if that person is female, male, creed, colour or whatever. It doesn't worry me. What worries me is are they going to be part of a group to work for the good of what our policies are. I'd imagine it's the same for the Labour and the Green party. That's what it's about.

"As councillors we should be promoting diversity across the board. I believe we are. We should do.

"So why do we need a motion to be told that we need an ambassador? If we need an ambassador, that means we're not doing that sort of thing.

"It's about helping your fellow neighbour, it's not about coming to council and making a big thing of it.

"Is equality saying we want all women seats? Is that really equality? Where are we going with this?

"I won't support this because I won't support people being singled out, because we're all important."

In response, Councillor Phillip Black (pictured below) said: "Councillor Gardiner, you've got to recognise that saying you just see everyone exactly the same is a position of extraordinary privilege.

"Whilst you think it might be a noble sentiment, it's actually not.

"I would like you to see me. I am gay. I am gender queer. Those are fundamental parts of my identity.

"For you to wave them away as unimportant, denies all of the difficulties and the struggles and the emotional wrangling and the societal taboos that I have come up against over the past 30 years. It would be the same for anyone else who comes from a minority position or a diverse position. 

"Instead of saying 'these things do not matter to me, everyone is just the same' what would be far more supportive and welcoming, would be to take a moment to recognise that individuality, and take into account the impact and barriers that come with it.

"There are an extraordinary number of barriers and biases about who gets to come and sit in this chamber. Yes of course the ballot box is the ultimate decider.

"I mean no sleight in this, but there is quite a lot of grey hair in this council chamber and in all council chambers. There are factors at play that mean that most councils are mature and have a tendency to have a lot of men and a lot of white people. There are a number of reasons why that is the case.

"This council is brilliant. With the fresh intake (at the last elections), there are so many people who are younger and so many more women. Things like that are important strides forward, they are going to bring entirely different perspectives. I would love to see more of it."

His Labour colleague Joanne Ainscough (pictured below), then said: "This is probably one of the most diverse councils that we've had.

"We have a high number of women, we have probably the most LGBTQ councillors we've ever had.

"But we are still far far away from being representative of our community.

"It's not good enough to have token members to tick a box. It should be part of the conversation. We are reaching out beyond our echo chambers and speaking to other sections of the community that we don't normally engage with. We can't be what we can't see.

"And it's all very well and good, and I'm sorry Councillor Gardiner, being a middle aged white male..."

At this point, Councillor Gardiner shouted: "This is a sexist remark against myself!"

As tensions rose, Councillor Roger Dennison, mayor of Lancaster, who was chairing the meeting, stepped in to call for the debate to be "conducted with courtesy".

Councillor Ainscough then said to Councillor Gardiner: "Sorry. That wasn't meant to be a slur. It is clear I've offended you and I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry.

"But we should all be striving for continued improvement. Politics is always going to appeal to a certain section of the community but that section of the community should be a broad base, not a narrow base." 

THE MOTION

Councillor Parr (pictured below) had put forward a motion wanting the council to commit to improving diversity in democracy, demonstrate an open and welcoming culture to all promoting the highest standards of behaviour and conduct, and appoint Diversity Ambassadors for each political group.

Her idea was that they would work with each other and local party associations to encourage recruitment of council candidates from under-represented groups.

She also wanted the council to encourage people from under-represented groups to stand for office through mentoring and shadowing programmes, and set targets for candidates from these groups at the next local elections, as well as provide access to counselling services for all councillors, ensure that all members take up allowances and salaries they are entitled to, and ensure that councillors from under-represented groups are given the chance to take on high profile roles within the council.

Presenting her motion, Councillor Parr, who represents Scale Hall ward, said: "I just want to reflect on what diversity means.

"I was just a young teenager in the 1960s when Enoch Powell made his infamous 'Rivers of Blood' speech and saw the mayhem that ensued. Moving on a few years, the Section 28 legislation in the 1980s which prevented the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities; this essentially meant education or other institutions were unable to advise or help anyone who had concerns or needed guidance. 

"Subsequently the right to equal marriage was introduced and we now celebrate Pride across the UK.

"So that's all hunky-dory isn't it? Except that it isn't. Today, we have talk about small boats and Rwanda. Homophobia is by no means eliminated.

"We are but one council but democracy demands that we represent our residents, ideally in body as well as in our actions and our principles. We should reflect our communities as well as work on their behalf.

"The BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) population in Lancaster has increased by around 60 per cent between the two censuses of 2011 and 2021 and now stands at almost seven per cent. 

"The last two (council) administrations have each had a Labour BAME councillor and we currently have one in the Green group. That's not enough to reflect our community.

"We have four Labour members (of the council) who are out and proud.

"We really really need positive action, working with our communities."

During a lengthy series of questions to Councillor Parr, many councillors welcomed the sentiment of her plan but took issue with the wording, saying the council was being asked to do something that should be the responsibility of each political group.

Others were concerned about the potential cost of some of her proposals, and that the council was carrying out some of the initiatives already.

Councillor Peter Jackson, leader of the Liberal Democrats (pictured below), said: "I'm really sorry to not support this motion. Appointing a (Diversity Ambassador) for each group is a job that each political party should do."

Councillor Martin Bottoms, a Morecambe Bay Independent, said: "I'm an independent councillor. I'm a party of one. I'm being asked to vote to make decisions for the different political parties. I don't think I should be doing that."

Councillor Gardiner told Councillor Parr: "I understand where you are coming from. However there is a simple thing you forgot, it's called the ballot box. We put candidates up from different ethnic minorities and different walks of life.

"Sometimes the public vote for us, sometimes they don't. How are you going to make more diverse councils when you can't control how the electorate votes?"

Councillor Gina Dowding, leader of the Greens, then proposed an amended plan.

This asked the council to note that "councillors represent their community and it is important that they reflect the diversity within their communities, particularly those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation)" and that "political groups on the council should make every effort to ensure that their elected members represent the communities they serve".

It also resolved to "demonstrate an open and welcoming culture to all, by promoting the highest standards of behaviour and conduct" and for full council to appoint a Diversity Champion in September.

Councillor Dowding (pictured below) said the original motion was "risky and dangerous" as it asked council officers to "get involved in party politics" by appointing Diversity Champions for each political group.

"It's OUR responsibility to do what we can," she said.

"We should do better."

Councillor Parr accepted the amendment.

Green Councillor Caroline Jackson, deputy council leader, said: "I agree you cannot tell a political party what to do, but we can speak into a genuine wish to support diversity.

"I am supportive of this as an action and thank you (Councillor Parr) for bringing this forward to a really good debate."

Councillor Brett Cooper, leader of the Morecambe Bay Independents (pictured below), said: "I will be going back to my group to look to appoint a diversity ambassador.

"I am fully supporting the motion. When I first read the motion, my view was that public office is one of the areas in the world where diversity is really important because you are representing constituents.

"I am all for quality of opportunity to get as many diverse candidates on the ballot and let the electorate decide."

Councillors then took a vote on whether to accept the amended diversity plan.

All councillors voted in favour, except Conservative councillors Gardiner, Paul Newton, John Wild and Keith Budden, who voted against.