Stockton Conservatives to boycott council AGM

As a result of Stockton Council's refusal to hold a minute's silence in memory of Lady Thatcher at its AGM to be held next Wednesday - the same day as Lady Thatcher's funeral - Conservatives on Stockton Council are set to boycott the meeting.

Lady Thatcher, the UK's first woman Prime Minster

Following such a disrespectful decision from Stockton Council, it was out of the question that I would attend the AGM.  Largely a ceremonial event nowadays for the nodding dogs to welcome the new mayor for the forthcoming year, to refuse to hold a minute's silence for the country's first and only woman Prime Minister demonstrates what a callous and childish bunch make up, for the most part, Stockton's councillors.

Earlier this week I was proud that my request at Yarm Town Council to stand for a minute's silence was agreed unanimously and observed impeccably by all councillors and members of the public present.

Not all those in attendance were Conservative, or even small 'c' conservative, by any stretch of the imagination. Many at the meeting disagreed with some of her policies fiercely and remain bitter about them to this day.

It is a measure of those that attended the meeting that they were decent enough to mark the passing of such an historic figure, the like of whom we are unlikely to see again.

The outgoing Mayor of Stockton, councillor Lynne Apedaile, has been exemplary in the way she has conducted herself during her mayoral year. I would hope all councillors, irrespective of political persuasion, would agree that she has been an example for all future mayors to emulate and she should look back on her year in office with great pride.

However, the response to be issued by Stockton Council in the event of any media enquiries is pretty shameful. It reads,

"I believe there are more appropriate forums and enough other opportunities for local politicians to express their own respects and thoughts to the news of Baroness Thatcher’s death."

Quite how or why it is felt 'inappropriate' for the council to acknowledge the passing of Lady Thatcher at its first meeting since her death is not explained.

It is a sorry state of affairs, and just the latest sad indictment of some of the characters we have on Stockton Council, that they can't even bring themselves to stand for a minute's silence. This is party political bitterness from the Labour benches to a degree that I have never before experienced, and would hope I never have to witness again.

I regret that I will not now be attending the AGM, but I am proud my fellow Conservative councillors do not wish to have anything to do with the meeting either.