A Newark district council meeting was adjourned following a heated debate over councillor allowances, described as a "breakdown in proceedings." The meeting, which had been called to discuss a motion regarding special responsibility allowances (SRAs), devolved into personal attacks and accusations.
The motion, put forward by Conservative councillors, aimed to close what they called a "loophole" concerning the allowances paid to council members for additional duties. The motion specifically addressed a policy adopted by some councils, known as "1-SRA-only," which dictates that councillors should receive only one SRA regardless of holding multiple remunerated positions.
During the debate, councillors argued about the civic duties associated with the chair and vice-chair roles. Labour councillors, including leader Paul Peacock, contended that these duties have historically been separate. The discussion reportedly escalated when an Independent councillor accused another of "threatening my life." This accusation led to a demand for the meeting to be postponed.
The council's usual chair and vice-chair had already recused themselves from the meeting because the discussion pertained to their own allowances. After a 13-minute recess, the interim chair, Tift, declared the meeting had "turned into a complete fiasco." Ultimately, a vote was taken to adjourn the meeting until a later date.
"I don't see how we can recover from all this unpleasantness," Tift stated, urging councillors to remember their professional roles and cease what they described as "personal slagging off."