Labour get police to kick me out of Council meeting

You couldn't make it up. Last night at the Full Council the Mayor asked at the beginning of the meeting, that is important here - only asked, that members don't tweet. He then said I know at the last meeting Cllr Gareth Fairhurst tweeted and I would ask that you don't, as the the Council are tweeting.

So the meeting gets underway, some controversial items are on the agenda including Standards. the Mayor had been involved in being found guilty of sending confidential emails, that where about football pitch's, that his son was trying to win the bid to run. Not only was he found guilty but he and the Council tried to cover it up. When the Wigan Evening Post broke the story, here is a link they didn't like it and knew I would be speaking on the matter. Then there was a motion to hold the Council to it's policy of sticking to the core strategy. However, this, along with the cover story, is embarrassing for the Council. They knew I would be attacking this and they didn't want it. It is now clear that their strategy was to send an officer of the Council into the meeting and watch what I put on twitter. When the Labour Leader said that 99% of residents are happy with the Council I couldn't believe it. I spoke up after the leader and asked for his source of information as I doubt it to be true. I then tweeted what the Labour had said and how I questioned it. Then this very young female officer who had been sent in to spy on me came running to the front of the chamber and went to the Chief Executive and was showing her phone and pointing. The Chief Executive then told the Mayor who said, " I am halting the meeting because Cllr Gareth Fairhurst is tweeting and I propose that we vote for him not to be heard or kick him out what ever you want. "Labour voted for that. Whilst he was proposing, I stood up and said point of order Mr Mayor and I want legal opinion on this. He said no I have proposed it and that's it. Go. I do not cower down to bullies and kangroo court. Labour simply can't make the rules up to suit them and then not be questioned.

I was told my one of the old guards at the Town Hall that if I didn't agree with Labour for kicking me out then they couldn't remove me and the law is only a Police officer can ask you to leave. So when the Mayor said for me to go and I said no he adjourned the meeting till I left. I said I wasn't going. Then they called the police and two PCSO came, one who as highly professional and one with a right attitude. When I said, as did other opposition Cllrs, that they do not have a legal right to ask me to leave they said the police are outside. I then said if that's the case ask them in to ask me. They didn't know what to do.

Some time passed and then the Chief Executive announced that I wasn't leaving unless a Police Officer arrived to ask me and I was wasting tax payers money. Yet her last complaint against me cost between £6k - £8k and wasted tax payers money as I was found not guilt by an EXTERNAL investigator. Kettle and black come to mind. She should pay that money back out of her £163 000 salary. That's a disgraceful salary for a chief executive of a council.

Then when the Council rang the police there was no police available in Wigan, so they had to ring and get an officer that came from Eccles to come over and ask me to leave, which I did as that is a legal request.

The Mayor had no right to do what he did and I stand up to bullies. Labour do not want residents to know about what goes on, they want you only to know what they want you to know. This is more like North Korea than an open and transparent country that we are meant to live in.