Don't mention the travellers
1:20pm Thursday 5th November 2009
By ###### Austin »

TORY councillors have been banned from publicly speaking about travellers...in case someone says something politically incorrect.

Only Tony Ball, the council leader, will now broach the issue with the press.

It’s a move reminiscent of the classic Fawlty Towers TV sketch, where hapless hotel owner Basil Fawlty tells his staff not to mention the war when German guests arrive.

The gagging order means Tory councillors Terri Sargent and Stuart Allen cannot comment on the huge Dale Farm camp developments in their ward of Crays Hills, Billericay.

The policy does not just apply to discussing legal matters, for example in and around evictions, but also means councillors cannot comment on other traveller-related issues in their ward, without running it by Mr Ball first.

The rule was brought in by leaders of the Tory administration, who are terrified of councillors slipping up by making politically incorrect remarks.

They fear the Equality and Human Rights Commission will use this against the council and possibly thwart its plans to evict the Dale Farm and the Wickford Hovefields sites.

Veteran councillor Tony Archer has already been rapped by the commission after referring to travellers as “those people” in a meeting.

However, Allan Davies, Basildon Council’s Labour group deputy leader, blasted the policy.

He said: “The Tory administration is stopping councillors from commenting on an issue which affects their ward and carrying out their democratic duty.

“When Terri Sargent and Stuart Allen were elected, the travellers were among the biggest issues in their ward and they can’t publicly speak about it!?

“This smacks of a power trip and a single voice for the council, which is wrong.”

Mr Davies said it could be considered discrimination to have a policy which relates solely to one ethnic group, when councilors are free to comment on other sensitive issues, such as local Islamic leaders.

But Mr Ball said the commission was closely watching the council and the Tories could not run the risk of members slipping up.

He said: “This is an issue where the leader has more information and is, therefore, in a better position to speak to the press.”

However, he admitted that even on ward-related traveller matters where councillors may have more details, they would still need to clear what they are going to say with leaders before commenting.

Councillors Mr Dornan and Mrs Sargent would not comment on the matter and Mr Archer said he had agreed to being gagged.

The Echo approached the commission for a comment and asked it if the Tories’ policy was itself a form of discrimination, but it didn’t respond.echo news.