Gateshead Council's full council meeting at the civic centre was temporarily disrupted on Thursday after an observer in the public gallery used the term 'fishwife' while a female councillor was speaking. The remark prompted elected members to complain to the Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Andrea Graham, who was chairing the meeting. She ordered the removal of all members of the public, including those seated outside the public gallery.
Councillors Condemn Language
Labour Councillor Jamie Park said the language and insults were 'completely unacceptable' and requested that efforts be made to identify the individuals and bar them from the next meeting. He stated: 'It was just to say, some of the language and the insults have been completely unacceptable, and I hope everyone can agree on that. I would also request that efforts be made by the relevant officers to find out who they were and make sure they cannot get back in for the next meeting.'
Council Response and Reassurance
The council's chief executive, Dale Owens, reassured councillors that the names of those in the public gallery had been taken and that the list would be reviewed. Gateshead Council's leader, Reform Councillor Nick Allan, expressed hope that such 'radical action' would not be repeated. He said: 'Excluding members of the public en masse, I think it is probably a retrograde step because that is essentially an aberration of democracy. We are here to be seen by members of the public, so I would hope that such radical action is not necessary and we take all due precautions to make sure it doesn’t happen again.'
Meeting Resumes After Fracas
Following the brief disruption, the meeting returned to a debate on the Reform administration's proposal to move full council meetings to 4:30pm with a two-hour time limit. The incident has raised questions about public conduct in council meetings and the balance between maintaining order and upholding democratic transparency.
