Council debate over 'sanctuary' status for migrants skipped and branded ‘'irrelevant'

A Berkshire council has been embroiled in a row after a councillor was denied the chance to debate the "council of sanctuary" status.

Sandhurst town councillor for Owlsmoor John Edwards has said he was not allowed to debate whether Bracknell Forest should work towards becoming a "council of sanctuary".

The topic has proved a hot topic after local opposition Conservatives unveiled it in a draft council paper.

However, the Labour administration subsequently denied it was their proposal.

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During a meeting last week, the Liberal Democrats used a procedural motion to skip the item.

John Edwards said his motion was on the Sandhurst Town Council agenda but was halted when councillors voted to move to "next business" under the council’s Standing Orders.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mike Forster said: "Councillor Edwards’ motion had no place being debated in a Sandhurst Town Council meeting.

"It was nothing to do with the Council’s statutory role or functions and Councillor Edwards could have discussed this with his Borough Councillor and made his feelings known as a resident."

He continued: "The motion was inappropriate and we, as a Council, moved on to the next business which was relevant.

"No-one wanted to talk about John Edwards’ pet subject of migrants, asylum seekers and immigration. It was not relevant to that council."

Liberal Democrat leader Leigh Quigg had initially proposed the motion to skip to the next business, with the mayor Graham Birch allowing the motion under council standing orders.

Councillor Birch said: "A number of councillors were confused by the nature of the motion. Anything that affects the residents of Sandhurst, the town council can make its feelings known."

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However, Mayor Birch, who was chairing the meeting, moved onto the next item on the agenda.

Mr Forster said: "They had no choice….when we raised the irrelevance point, Graham Birch allowed him to continue but he couldn’t overrule a motion passed by the majority of Councillors, Lib Dem and Conservative."

In an open letter, Councillor Edwards continued the motion opposed to Bracknell Forest Council "working towards becoming a Council of Sanctuary" and had been properly submitted, accepted and placed on the agenda.

He argued that, once the mayor had rejected an objection that it was not proper council business, that decision should have been final under the authority’s standing orders.

The councillor also alleged inconsistency in how motions have been treated.

He suggested a pro-Afghan resettlement motion, which was debated last year, was allowed to proceed as council business, while his own motion about council of sanctuary status was blocked.

Mr Edwards, who sits as an Independent Councillor but is the campaign manager for the local branch of Reform UK, has now called for the issue to be urgently reviewed and asked the mayor to convene an extraordinary meeting of the full council so the motion can be debated.

He said the matter should be resolved "properly, transparently, and in a way that protects the right of elected councillors to raise legitimate matters on behalf of residents".

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