'Third Reich council' comment 'unacceptable'
A CAMPAIGNER has been 'rapped' for an outburst likening Torbay Council to the 'Third Reich'.
Susie Colley, former mayoral candidate, has been told that her behaviour was 'unacceptable' in a formal letter from council chief executive Elizabeth Raikes.
It is in response to a comment made by Mrs Colley at a meeting of the health scrutiny board on May 14.
She demanded to be heard from the public seating after two committee councillors walked out over a refusal by the chairman Jane Barnby to discuss the care of a disabled resident in Torbay.
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The meeting was temporarily adjourned and security guards were called in after the outburst in which she asked: "Is this council being run by the Third Reich?"
Now, Mrs Colley has been told by the authority boss that her behaviour was felt 'unacceptable, in particular your choice of language which was offensive'.
The initial complaint came from Cllr John Thomas, a health board member and overview and scrutiny co-ordinator.
Mrs Colley said: "I am happy to give a guarded apology to Cllr Thomas, and to the other Councillors who chose to stay at the meeting, for the comments I made in the heat of the moment.
"I am assuming that it was my comment about the 'Third Reich' that he has objected to."
Mrs Colley maintained that she was 'deeply offended' by the committee members who chose to stay at the meeting despite the urgent item not being heard.
She said: "For them to hide behind protocol and put their political standing ahead of the needs of a vulnerable adult is quite frankly not only deeply offensive but utterly shameful behaviour."
Cllr Thomas confirmed that he asked Mrs Raikes to write the letter to set out the council's position about the behaviour.
He said: "Beyond that, I don't think it is appropriate to comment further," he said.
The letter sets out provisions open to the authority in dealing with disturbances by members of the public and rules around clearing the public seating if necessary.
Mrs Raikes said in the letter: "While you are welcome to attend future meetings, I would remind you that it is at the chairman's discretion that you address the committee and that you should do so with courtesy and respect and not use abusive, discriminatory or offensive language."
A Torbay Council spokesman said that Mrs Raikes did not wish to comment further on the matter adding that the letter clearly set out the provisions open to the council in dealing with disturbances during meetings.




Comments
by woodie2010
Friday, June 08 2012, 8:13PM
“thepfj - what I think you may be referring to was her 'best interest' this had been done at a time when OH was not being considered as an option for this lady. However, OH was put back on the table and her BI should have been revisited especially when the other residents' BI determined that they should stay together preferably at OH. There had also been a commitment made that all 7 would be considered as a group. This was not done.”
by woodie2010
Friday, June 08 2012, 8:11PM
“The PFJ again you are misinformed - there was no legal representative in place at this time.”
by Chunder123
Friday, June 08 2012, 5:50PM
“torbay council are the 4th Reich. WHo else would take away children from innocent families like they have done so in the past and present. Social services are all part of the council or connected to it. THese suckers make profit from actually looking for families to disrupt and the courts are in on their corruption as they are all connected. THey actually do this to keep their organization afloat. THese vultures will do absolutely anything to survive and that includes stealing peoples kids. It's legalized child stealing for profit puprhouses. PRetty sick ain't it”
by ThePFJ
Friday, June 08 2012, 11:02AM
“The Herald are very pro Colley and have a habit of removing any comment that criticises her. A balanced and free press, I don't think so. Woodie, her legal representatives had already approve the move. As I stated earlier.”
by Pingu007
Friday, June 08 2012, 9:43AM
“@ ivanovski: Normally, I would agree with you: debate should be the way forward. However, the two councillors left the meeting because there was to be no debate. Arguments cannot be won by debate if Barmby and other councillors refuse to even discuss issues.
I'm no fan of the Colley woman, but I do feel that some of these Tory councillors really do need to man up. She asked IF this council was being run by the Third Reich ... it's well recognised that "Nazi" or "Hitler" jibes are the last refuge of fools, but Colley looks less of a fool than Thomas J who runs bleating to the chief executive. Whose skirts are they going to hide under once Mrs Raikes takes her wad of dosh and disappears?
And you have to admire the Colley woman: at least she's prepared to put herself out and about for things she gives a stuff about (although the Lord spare me from another diatribe about petunias). I don't know how Barmby, Thomas J and the others could sleep at night, knowing what they were doing to a scared elderly person simply by their refusal to acknowledge the matter. I fell that Colley should not have apologised at all, and if she should, it should have been to any other members of the public who were at the meeting and who might have been inconvenienced, not to Tory councillors.
Under the circumstances, given that the Tory councillors refused to put the topic on the agenda, I think that councillors Davies and Parrott did exactly the right thing by leaving the meeting. Both they - and Colley for that matter - achieved their end by their actions, as the person in question was returned to home and "family" and will now, I sincerely hope, be left in peace.”
by woodie2010
Thursday, June 07 2012, 10:33PM
“the pfj she was not back in the care home the same day. It was not until the Friday that she came back - so 4 days away from her home. She had no legal team in place at the time either nor had her IMCA been involved. Clearly you have been fed a line.”
by woodie2010
Thursday, June 07 2012, 4:22PM
“Attendance at this meeting was a last desperate attempt to prevent this very vulnerable adult from being moved, the Care Trust were ignoring the two councillors who had withdrawn themselves from the meeting and friends and family. The result of the remainder of the committee refusing to discuss or do anything to help meant that this adult was moved, against her wishes that same day. These Councillors could and should have done something.”
by omnivore23
Thursday, June 07 2012, 2:48PM
“Actually PFJ ........
I think accusations of "Nazi" or "Third Reich" are pretty knee-jerk responses for unimaginative and ill-informed people of all political persuasions, not just "liberals".
I prefer the more flexible "idiot" and "moron", as you know.”
by ThePFJ
Thursday, June 07 2012, 1:14PM
“When a liberal doesn't get his/her own way you will always hear them say they are dealing with the Third Reich.”
by nicold
Thursday, June 07 2012, 11:32AM
“Susie Colley? Not her again? Self serving publicist!”