The Marmite Mayor

Ah, the joys of online town council meetings on Facebook. They're much more accessible and as such open to some half-baked public comments. I am sure that the town council would far prefer to return to sitting in a room where the number of public spectators is limited. Whether that's good for democracy, though, who knows...

I wander what newcomers Ethan Jones and Christine Ellis made of their first meeting on Monday. Amidst the planning observations, invoices for payment and a whole item on a £40 fee for data protection registration, there was again high drama. We say 'again' because there was a hint of this at the previous meeting, too. (And then, yesterday, there was also a public spat on Facebook, since removed—but that's another story).

The town council's website is out of date and still shows Dave Snape in these two shots (plus three others now resigned)

Monday evening and during the county councillors' reports, Huw Hilditch-Roberts mentioned progress as regards the air pollution at Glasdir. This drifted (if you'll excuse the pun) into a complaint that there was a misunderstanding about the respective roles of councillors on the two bodies, whereafter Hilditch-Roberts launched into an allegation regarding a Facebook post by the mayor, Gavin Harris. After the meeting, one of the town councillors called Hilditch-Roberts's remarks 'an attack' on Harris.

Hilditch-Roberts claimed that Harris had used Facebook to defame the three Denbighshire county councillors and accused Harris of inaccurate and fabricated statements about the three county councillors. Harris denied such a Facebook post but Hilditch-Roberts stated that the post was up and down within 24 hours but had nevertheless been in public view. Harris then suggested that this was a legitimate question to an election candidate. Hilditch-Roberts claimed that Harris posted in his official position as mayor. 

There followed much talking over each other, when things got just a little heated. Harris referred Hilditch-Roberts to the clerk, to whom he should make his fomral complaint. After a short period, Harris then muted Hilditch-Roberts. 

Was muting something of a mistake for Harris? Was that seen as stifling debate, bullying or threatening in nature and overly censorial?

It has to be said that Harris, as chairman, was completely within his rights to cut this short. Indeed, I would warrant that the constitution allows for people to address the chair only on the topic of the agenda item. If not in the constitution then it is certainly good and accepted practice. The trouble is that Harris may be seen as domineering or the town council might be perceived as out-of-touch and to be like the comedy that was Cheshire's Handforth parish council.

Perhaps it would have been better for Harris to acknowledge that Hilditch-Roberts had a legitimate complaint that required ironing out and that they should take the matter off line at a more appropriate time. Muting simply seems to be authoritarian. 

Harris is something of a marmite mayor. He has his supporters and equally his detractors. The fact that Harris is eliciting reactions—good and bad—indicates that he and the town council are not prepared to sit on their haunches and that they are actually trying to make a difference. They could, of course, stick to hanging baskets and park benches.  

Harris is a strong mayor who has done much for the town. Yr Hen Lys and the Masterplan spring to mind. Over the years, in his official capacity, he's suffered some very unacceptable abuse, especially during the current council year. There's been a recent bust-up between former town councillor Dave Snape and Harris. Harris appears strong in the face of it all but it's got to have taken its toll. It's believed that Harris is looking forward next month to handing over the reigns. Meanwhile, Hilditch-Roberts is equally strong. In 2017, he challenged the current Denbighshire leader for Denbighshire's top political office. He was subsequently the cabinet lead on education, the largest and most important portfolio, including the oversight of the new Glasdir schools. 

At the March 2021 meeting, there was earlier drama. Harris accused the county councillors of doing nothing for Rhuthun. After Hilditch-Roberts intervened to say that they'd built two brand new schools (for example), Harris at least partly retracted his statement but it was left there in the air like a bad smell over Glasdir. This Monday's exchange appeared to be a continuation of this disagreement. There appears to be little love lost between the four of them. Perhaps they're fearful of Harris's popularity when next we have a local election (in a year's time). 

Harris had previously stated that he would stand for election to the county council if he felt that the current councillors had made no effort for Rhuthun. It seems that his view is that they have not. If Harris's beef is with Hilditch-Roberts, if Harris is elected in 2022 it will likely be Bobby Feeley who is caught in the crossfire. In 2017, she was third out of three. If Harris wins one of the three seats, it will be her that will potentially lose out. 

It is probably too much to expect our representatives to work together all the time. They're human. There will be tensions and that's politics. But it does leave something of a bitter taste when two high profile influencers aren't pulling in the same direction for the good of our town. We trust our two newest town councillors who were so effusively welcomed by Emrys Wynne and Bobby Feeley will not be tainted by such things and make it their mission to try to mend rifts and hurts wherever they find them.