Tory: cllr a ‘foreigner’ with ‘lesbian hair’
6:14 pm - March 9th 2011
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The leader of the Conservatives on Hull City Council was slammed last week for his comments on Twitter, calling members of the public who opposed cuts at a council budget meeting a “collection of retards”.
It emerged later that numerous people in the public gallery had disabilities.
What is perhaps equally as shocking, however, are his previous comments to a council officer.
A standards inquiry heard that Councillor Fareham bullied Danish-born Inga Jorgensen, calling her “wonk” and a “foreigner”.
Jorgensen said he called her a “lesbian” for refusing to make him a drink and remarked she had “lesbian hair”.
How does this man still have a job? With the mother of a child with learning disabilities referring him to the Standards Board (again) he hopefully won’t for much longer.
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Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments
You missed out the best bit.
In documents submitted as evidence to a standards committee hearing, she also claims he deliberately drank Bovril in her presence, even though he was aware that she hated the drink’s smell.
Now that’s real bullying………….
@ 1
OK, but that doesn’t excuse him using “lesbian” as an insult, assuming that he did.
And people wonder why I call them brownshirts.
Sigh.
They’re retards and he’s a retard. End of.
I have to admit I burst out laughing when I read that. Lesbian hair? What does that even mean?
Forget irresponsibility, he should be sacked for being unhinged.
Sally,
So, he keeps spilling the bovril 
The Localism Bill currently in Parliament abolishes the Standards Board and all the associated processes, so such behaviour will increase and there will be no recourse for the public or staff to try and stop it.
What sort of madman drinks bovril anyway?
namack,
The Localism Bill currently in Parliament abolishes the Standards Board and all the associated processes, so such behaviour will increase and there will be no recourse for the public or staff to try and stop it.
Yes, I can’t see any public recourse to a crap councillor. It’s not as if he could be voted out or anythi…
Hang on, I’ve got it. Why not just have them stand for election. If, as seems quite likely, Mr Fareham is a nasty piece of work, why not get his electorate aware of this. Rather than having a bunch of politically-selected bureaucrats offer a slap on the wrist that no-one will really notice.
Rather than bemoan the loss of interference in democracy, why not consider how to deal with problems like this guy – how you get the message to locals who hopefully will be shocked by his behaviour (albeit this is Hull.,.).
@5 ”Lesbian hair? What does that even mean?”
http://gracethespot.com/?p=958
@Watchman #9:
“Hang on, I’ve got it. Why not just have them stand for election. If, as seems quite likely, Mr Fareham is a nasty piece of work, why not get his electorate aware of this. Rather than having a bunch of politically-selected bureaucrats offer a slap on the wrist that no-one will really notice.”
Why not get the Standards Board aware of the fact that he is a nasty piece of work, so that he can be barred from office, rather than have a bunch of self-selected party activists leap to attention when he walks in and reselect him for his safe ward?
@ 11 Robin
“Why not get the Standards Board aware of the fact that he is a nasty piece of work, so that he can be barred from office, rather than have a bunch of self-selected party activists leap to attention when he walks in and reselect him for his safe ward?”
It’s antidemocratic. And yes, I know that safe seats ain’t all that democratic either, but it’s the closest thing we’ve got for now.
If he’d used demonstrable lies to con the electorate into voting for him, a la Phil Woolas, it would perhaps be appropriate for him to be forced out of office. But I don’t think it’s appropriate for the democratic process to be overridden just because he said things that we find offensive.
Public pressure makes it 10:1 in favour that he’ll be out on his arse within the week anyway.
@Chaise Guevara #12:
“It’s antidemocratic.”
No it’s not. Being able to use your position in a safe ward to bully civil servants into following your bidding without any meaningful consequence is antidemocratic. There is a very good reason why local authorities have a head of paid service to whom all officers are beholden, and why elected members don’t have any role in management as opposed to policy; a politicised civil service is antidemocratic.
@ 13
That’s as may be, but it doesn’t change the fact that an unelected official kicking out someone who was legitimately voted into office is an insult to democracy. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
The people of each constituency are entitled to representation, and shouldn’t have their chosen candidate taken away because you’ve decided they made the “wrong” choice.
@Chaise #14:
“That’s as may be, but it doesn’t change the fact that an unelected official kicking out someone who was legitimately voted into office is an insult to democracy.”
So you are in favour of no enforceable standards in public life; if somebody manages to get elected, and to maintain power by keeping their hold on the people who really decide whether he will get elected again, the party members who reselect him (or her) that’s it?
You do realise that all councillors sign a declaration that they will abide by the code, aren’t you? It’s not as if it’s news to anyone involved that actions have consequences; he was voted into office within a framework that limits the extent to which he is allowed to bully civil servants. Why should that framework not have sanctions?
“The people of each constituency are entitled to representation, and shouldn’t have their chosen candidate taken away because you’ve decided they made the “wrong” choice.”
Who chose Fareham? 1,937 voters, or a few dozen party members? If the party puts Fareham up again next time – and as he is the Tory leader, in the absence of any enforceable standards they will – what choice does the electorate really have? Voters largely don’t vote for councillors (or even MPs); they vote for parties.
@15 Robin: If the party puts Fareham up again next time – and as he is the Tory leader, in the absence of any enforceable standards they will – what choice does the electorate really have? Voters largely don’t vote for councillors (or even MPs); they vote for parties.
Yes, because they choose to do so. You seem to want to dissolve the electorate and elect a new one.
Personally I imagine that if his opponents made his character the main point at issue in the next election, and the voters agreed he’s a bad ‘un, he would be likely to lose.
@Phil Hunt #16:
“Yes, because they choose to do so.”
I don’t recall being given the choice.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
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Liberal Conspiracy
Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Deyan Marconny.
RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Richard Horton
RT @libcon: Hull Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition! http://on.fb.me/hiNyoa
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sunny hundal
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition too! htt …
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Emrys Schoemaker
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sig… (cont) http://deck.ly/~e5m0Z
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Lesley in The City
RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Dick Smith
RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Dani Quinn
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition too! htt …
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Oh when the hull
http://hullcity.tk RT @gominokouhai Stay classy, Hull City Council http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Gods & Monsters
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition too! htt …
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Andy S
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition too! htt …
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Adam Jennison
RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Ian 'Cat' Vincent
There now has to be a band called Lesbian Hair http://j.mp/dG48bS
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sarah
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition too! htt …
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Oasis Caretaker
RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Bec
RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Bec
RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ
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Jill Hayward
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition too! htt …
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whiterose1314
RT @psbook: RT @libcon: Tory: council officer a "foreigner" with "lesbian hair" http://bit.ly/eSybBZ << Sign the petition too! htt …
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bryan
Tory: cllr a ‘foreigner’ with ‘lesbian hair’ | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/rv0DPbk via @libcon
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Fadia Faqir
Tory Fareham: cllr a ‘foreigner’ with ‘lesbian hair’ http://bit.ly/f5dkId He bullied Jorgensen, calling her “wonk” and a “foreigner”.
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GLBT World News
Tory: cllr a 'foreigner' with 'lesbian hair' | Liberal Conspiracy http://bit.ly/gDOvQJ
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Christian
Tory: cllr a 'foreigner' with 'lesbian hair' http://t.co/IYavYtB > so much prejudice & hatred. What the world needs now is love, sweet love…
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Hannah M
Tory: cllr a ‘foreigner’ with ‘lesbian hair’ | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/kNeej4I via @libcon
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Daniel Pitt
Tory: Council officer a 'foreigner' with 'lesbian hair' http://bit.ly/eSybBZ #ConDemNation
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Jennifer O'Mahony
Nice to see good old fashioned Tories mocking disabled people and calling people "lesbian" as an insult http://t.co/aDbqqFt via @libcon
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Political Scrapbook
@lewisgparker Exhibit B: http://bit.ly/fKvYhe
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cllrdarrenfower
Tory: cllr a ‘foreigner’ with ‘lesbian hair’ – http://tinyurl.com/64kyozx
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Wendy burnham
RT @cllrdarrenfower: Tory: cllr a ‘foreigner’ with ‘lesbian hair’ – http://tinyurl.com/64kyozx<Christ!, that's a mixture!
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