Councillor suggests euthanasia to reduce children in care
A COUNCILLOR has been suspended after suggesting using euthanasia as a way to cut the number of children in care.
Coun Hugh Jackson, ward councillor for Monkseaton North, has had the whip removed from him by the Conservative Party after the "off-the-cuff" remark caused outrage both inside and outside North Tyneside Council.
The former teacher suggested using euthanasia as a solution during a finance sub-committee which had been told that the council is paying 3.4m a year to other local authorities to house their looked-after children, including some of those special needs.
At the committee, members were told that 43 youngsters in North Tyneside are cared for in other areas.
His comments at the meeting last week reportedly left one officer in tears.
Coun Jackson has since apologised but is unavailable for comment.
But now Labour councillors are calling for his resignation.
And the situation blew up at a full council meeting on Thursday night when Mayor John Harrison criticised Coun Jackson, only for both the Conservative and half the Liberal Democrat members to walk out in protest.
Mr Harrison said: "We have made the national news today for all the wrong reasons.
"Stories circulating all portray this council in a negative light.
"Comments attributed to members of this chamber in the national media are disgraceful, they are a stain on the honour of this council and the councillor at the centre of this should go immediately.
"It really is as simple as that. He should resign.
"I am making this call to the councillor concerned.
"Don't wait for the inevitable – leave this council with some dignity.
"You have made these disgraceful comments and have shown not an ounce of remorse.
"It is now a question for the councillor concerned, his colleagues and his party.
"Their continued support of the indefensible will be frowned upon.
"This matter is not a joke. It is deadly serious."
But the Conservative councillors furiously hit back, calling for the mayor to apologise for his comments as Coun Jackson was not there to defend himself.
They also said they had moved quickly by suspending Coun Jackson pending an investigation by the Standards Board.
Coun JonJo MacNamara said: "I must object. It has been offensive and is now outrageous as the member will not have the right to question the charges being laid to him by the mayor.
"He is not even here to defend himself."
And the Lib Dems blamed the Labour group for leaking the story as the meeting had been held a week before it hit the headlines, before the mass walk-out and hour-long talks with officers outside the chamber.
After the meeting, Coun Michael McIntyre, deputy leader of the Conservative group, said: "Hugh Jackson has acknowledged his comments were unacceptable, even in jest, and has apologised.
"Nonetheless, in view of the seriousness of the comments the Conservative group has suspended the whip from him pending the outcome of recommendations of the Standards Board enquiry.
"As for leaving the chamber, the Conservative group felt the mayor's comments were out of order and an abuse of his position as Coun Jackson was not present at the meeting to defend himself, which is why a number of members, not just the Conservatives, left the chamber in protest."
A statement from North Tyneside Conservatives added that the comments were unacceptable and out of line with the views of the party at large.
A council spokesman said: "As a council we're committed to work to reduce disadvantages, discrimination, and inequalities of opportunity, and to promote diversity in terms of the people we serve, our workforce, the partners we work with and the services we deliver.
"A comment has been reported to the chief executive and is subject to an internal investigation with a view to it being referred to the Standards Board for England."
It is not the first time an off-the-cuff comment by Coun Jackson has resulted in him apologising.
Just six days before the finance committee, Coun Jackson referred to Coun Norma Redfearn as "the defendant" while she was addressing the overview and scrutiny committee about cabinet's Fuel4Kids programme.
He apologised for his comments at the cabinet meeting the following week.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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