Cllr Harkin defiant over throwing protester out of meeting

9:06am Thursday 28th February 2013 in News

BOLTON’S mayor will not apologise for throwing a member of the public out of a crunch full council meeting — despite unions contacting the borough’s solicitor.

The meeting to approve this year’s budget, council tax rise and more than £43 million worth of cuts was interrupted twice after the mayor, Cllr Guy Harkin, was forced to halt proceedings because of disruption in the public gallery.

Unions had organised a protest outside the Town Hall and some members then entered the gallery to watch the meeting.

The mayor — in his ceremonial role as chairman of the meeting — began by saying disruptions would not be tolerated and that he would clear the public gallery if necessary.

A shout of “get on with it” led to him adjourning the meeting for five minutes.

Several minutes later, another shout saw Cllr Harkin identify the Bolton Libraries campaigner, Tom Hanley, as the alleged source — and he was told to leave. Several voices were heard to shout “it wasn’t Tom Hanley” and, in scenes reminiscent of the film Spartacus, a woman shouted “I’m Tom Hanley”.

Cllr Harkin then ordered the public gallery to be cleared and police were called after two people refused to move.

Mr Hanley — who denies he was the person shouting — said he had refused to leave until he received an apology.

He was persuaded by council leader Cllr Cliff Morris, who said the Mayor would allow the public back in if he left.

Unison branch Secretary Bernadette Gallagher said: “We have to question whether one person should have the right to clear the gallery just because one person made a fairly innocuous comment about the need to get on with business.”

GMB Convenor Sean Warren added: “Our members are angry. Some of the Mayor’s comments were personal and focussed on an individual, which is wrong.”

A Bolton Council spokeswoman said: “In this case, a member of the public was preventing council business from being carried out and was asked to leave by the mayor.

“When other members of the public continued to shout, interrupt and prevent the meeting from continuing, he ordered the gallery to be cleared.”

Tom Hanley denied he shouted the remark.

He said: “I stayed behind to wait for an apology. I’m still waiting for an apology now.”

Cllr Harkin said: “I’ve known Tom Hanley for 55 years. I went to school with him and I know his voice. He was caught bang to rights. There’s no question of an apology.”

Local government legal expert Peter Keith-Lucas, a partner at law firm Bevan Brittan, said: “A council’s standing orders do provide for the chairman to exclude disruptive members of the public. As a courtesy, the chairman will normally issue a warning at least once.

“If the chairman can identify an individual and just exclude him or her, he can then leave the rest of the public in place. But if that disruption spreads, he can then clear the gallery.”

Comments (6)

9:19am Thu 28 Feb 13

I, Ludicrous says...

Glad to see everyone focusing in on serious matters. Well done to all. Good grief!
Glad to see everyone focusing in on serious matters. Well done to all. Good grief! I, Ludicrous

11:00am Thu 28 Feb 13

hazdbfs says...

Dear me....they sound like a bunch of kids. And this is what we have leading Bolton? No wonder the town is in the state it is in. Hope they don't just sit on their laurels thinking the people of Bolton can't see what they are doing. I know my vote will be being used against them.
Dear me....they sound like a bunch of kids. And this is what we have leading Bolton? No wonder the town is in the state it is in. Hope they don't just sit on their laurels thinking the people of Bolton can't see what they are doing. I know my vote will be being used against them. hazdbfs

1:35pm Thu 28 Feb 13

boltonnut says...

The wrong man was ejected,should have been Morris.
The wrong man was ejected,should have been Morris. boltonnut

8:28pm Thu 28 Feb 13

bwfc58 says...

UKIP UKIP UKIP that is who we should be voting for next in the local and National elections
UKIP UKIP UKIP that is who we should be voting for next in the local and National elections bwfc58

11:04pm Thu 28 Feb 13

BWFC71 says...

A vote for UKIP is a vote for making unemployed the exact same people who want to get your vote as they will lose their jobs!!! Do you honestly think the UKIP members want to lose their jobs and their European gravy train??? Remember they do not have any Westminster MP's!

Fascinating fact I saw on Daily Politics thsi lunchtime. Every person who pays tax pays £300 towards the EU each year BUT pays £500 towards The Commonwealth - and following on from that there are 53 countries in The Commonwealth of which 45 are actually poorer than Greece, Spain, Italy and Ireland and do not give anything to The Commonwealth and only take!!! Also at this moment our Queen is the head of The Commonwealth but that will not automatically pass to Charles and could actually go to one fo the 5 other monarchs in teh Commonwealth or one of the Presidents of other countries within The Commonwealth!!! So looking at it the EU is actually better value for money than The Commonwealth - it is NOT The British Commonwealth as that no longer exists and hasn't done since teh 1960's!!!

So the UK is wasting more money with The Commonwealth than it does with the EU - so believe the UKIP if you want to, BUT just remember than there is a bigger faultering group which we are party to to which we make no profit whatsoever!!!


Meanwhile back on topic - ALL the councillors of every party in Bolton are worse than children and need to be replaced, if Bolton is to be great as it once was, again!!!
A vote for UKIP is a vote for making unemployed the exact same people who want to get your vote as they will lose their jobs!!! Do you honestly think the UKIP members want to lose their jobs and their European gravy train??? Remember they do not have any Westminster MP's! Fascinating fact I saw on Daily Politics thsi lunchtime. Every person who pays tax pays £300 towards the EU each year BUT pays £500 towards The Commonwealth - and following on from that there are 53 countries in The Commonwealth of which 45 are actually poorer than Greece, Spain, Italy and Ireland and do not give anything to The Commonwealth and only take!!! Also at this moment our Queen is the head of The Commonwealth but that will not automatically pass to Charles and could actually go to one fo the 5 other monarchs in teh Commonwealth or one of the Presidents of other countries within The Commonwealth!!! So looking at it the EU is actually better value for money than The Commonwealth - it is NOT The British Commonwealth as that no longer exists and hasn't done since teh 1960's!!! So the UK is wasting more money with The Commonwealth than it does with the EU - so believe the UKIP if you want to, BUT just remember than there is a bigger faultering group which we are party to to which we make no profit whatsoever!!! Meanwhile back on topic - ALL the councillors of every party in Bolton are worse than children and need to be replaced, if Bolton is to be great as it once was, again!!! BWFC71

2:37pm Fri 1 Mar 13

Bob Shaftoe says...

BWFC71 wrote:
A vote for UKIP is a vote for making unemployed the exact same people who want to get your vote as they will lose their jobs!!! Do you honestly think the UKIP members want to lose their jobs and their European gravy train??? Remember they do not have any Westminster MP's!

Fascinating fact I saw on Daily Politics thsi lunchtime. Every person who pays tax pays £300 towards the EU each year BUT pays £500 towards The Commonwealth - and following on from that there are 53 countries in The Commonwealth of which 45 are actually poorer than Greece, Spain, Italy and Ireland and do not give anything to The Commonwealth and only take!!! Also at this moment our Queen is the head of The Commonwealth but that will not automatically pass to Charles and could actually go to one fo the 5 other monarchs in teh Commonwealth or one of the Presidents of other countries within The Commonwealth!!! So looking at it the EU is actually better value for money than The Commonwealth - it is NOT The British Commonwealth as that no longer exists and hasn't done since teh 1960's!!!

So the UK is wasting more money with The Commonwealth than it does with the EU - so believe the UKIP if you want to, BUT just remember than there is a bigger faultering group which we are party to to which we make no profit whatsoever!!!


Meanwhile back on topic - ALL the councillors of every party in Bolton are worse than children and need to be replaced, if Bolton is to be great as it once was, again!!!
Wrong again 71. The EU costs this country £300 per person the Commonwealth Just £1. Take your EU blinkers off your on a loser promoting that lot.

Farage is the only politician who knows what he's talking about and can relate to the electorate because he actually worked for a living and communicates in a way that everyone understands unlike the other three numpties. That's why UKIP came second in Eastleigh.

Am I wrong in assuming that you used to draw a salary from the EU?
[quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote: A vote for UKIP is a vote for making unemployed the exact same people who want to get your vote as they will lose their jobs!!! Do you honestly think the UKIP members want to lose their jobs and their European gravy train??? Remember they do not have any Westminster MP's! Fascinating fact I saw on Daily Politics thsi lunchtime. Every person who pays tax pays £300 towards the EU each year BUT pays £500 towards The Commonwealth - and following on from that there are 53 countries in The Commonwealth of which 45 are actually poorer than Greece, Spain, Italy and Ireland and do not give anything to The Commonwealth and only take!!! Also at this moment our Queen is the head of The Commonwealth but that will not automatically pass to Charles and could actually go to one fo the 5 other monarchs in teh Commonwealth or one of the Presidents of other countries within The Commonwealth!!! So looking at it the EU is actually better value for money than The Commonwealth - it is NOT The British Commonwealth as that no longer exists and hasn't done since teh 1960's!!! So the UK is wasting more money with The Commonwealth than it does with the EU - so believe the UKIP if you want to, BUT just remember than there is a bigger faultering group which we are party to to which we make no profit whatsoever!!! Meanwhile back on topic - ALL the councillors of every party in Bolton are worse than children and need to be replaced, if Bolton is to be great as it once was, again!!![/p][/quote]Wrong again 71. The EU costs this country £300 per person the Commonwealth Just £1. Take your EU blinkers off your on a loser promoting that lot. Farage is the only politician who knows what he's talking about and can relate to the electorate because he actually worked for a living and communicates in a way that everyone understands unlike the other three numpties. That's why UKIP came second in Eastleigh. Am I wrong in assuming that you used to draw a salary from the EU? Bob Shaftoe

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