Insults and accusations of bullying and threats have been thrown around the Isle of Wight Council’s chamber by councillors in full view of the public.
Tensions between three councillors reached boiling point over the last two days, with one calling another a “fascist pig” and labelling Reform UK as “racist”.
Across two meetings
The dispute between councillors Geoff Brodie (Independent Socialist), Caroline Gladwin (ABC group Reform UK) and Dave Adams (ABC group independent) was first aired at the planning committee meeting on Tuesday (30th September).
It then escalated into a confrontation last night (Wednesday, 1st October), leading to chair Ian Dore crashing down his gavel and suspending the full council meeting on Hampshire and Solent Devolution.
Transparency of declaration of interests
Prior to Tuesday’s debate and vote on the 473-home West Acre Park development, Councillor Brodie said,
“I’d just like to raise the issue of Councillor Gladwin at this meeting.”
Councillor Gladwin began to interrupt him, saying the matter had “nothing to do with the meeting in hand”.
Councillor Brodie continued,
“Councillor Gladwin has, like a lot of members of this council, a number of rental properties.
“Every member of this council, other than her, declares them on their members’ declaration of interest, available on the (council) website.
“Councillor Gladwin since she was elected has not declared those interests.”
Gladwin: I am under threat – this is a police matter
The Reform UK councillor cut in and the meeting began to enter into disarray.
“This has no relevance to this meeting. And this is typical of Councillor Brodie who is harassing and bullying me regarding this – I am under threat.
“If I have any conflicts of interest I will declare them, and I do not need to be policed by Councillor Brodie and I think it’s outrageous that I’m expected to be subjected to this in this meeting.”
She added the issue was a “police matter” to which Councillor Brodie responded: “report it to the police”.
Dispensation from the monitoring officer
Conservative planning committee chair Warren Drew said,
“There is a function and a requirement by which all councillors make a declaration of their pecuniary interests, including their property interests.
“You can get a dispensation where you are potentially, amongst other reasons, in fear of harassment or intimidation, at which point the monitoring officer will make a determination which he has done here.
“He’s accepted the point that Councillor Gladwin has made regarding why it should be kept from the public and he also has made a ruling, saying he has seen and considered the matter.
“He doesn’t feel that it’s in conflict with the application (West Acre Park).”
Not made public due to “an issue about sensitivity”
Monitoring officer Francis Fernandez said,
“There are two aspects to this – one is declaring the interests to the monitoring officer and the other aspect to this is publishing it on the public register.
“Councillor Gladwin has declared her rental properties to the monitoring officer and those interests haven’t been put on the public register because there’s an issue about sensitivity.”
Councillor Brodie said members of the public and the planning committee were not being allowed to know “why we should rely on his (Mr Fernandez’s) word”. He added,
“How are we to know that these properties will not be impacted by the application before us tonight or before other applications she may sit and judge upon in the future.”
Left the chamber distressed
Later in the evening, a distressed Councillor Gladwin was escorted out of the meeting by councillors Debbie Andre and Claire Critchison before later returning to the chamber.
Memorandum signed by 18 councillors
After the meeting, Councillor Brodie gave the Local Democracy Reporting Service a memorandum protesting ‘the failure of Reform UK councillor Caroline Gladwin to declare her rental properties with her published Declaration of Interests’.
It also protested the monitoring officers’ ‘seeming unwillingness to press your own expectation that she should do so’.
The document sent to County Hall’s monitoring officers was signed by councillors Brodie, Mosdell, Blake, Churchman, Ward, Brading, Price, Beston, Cameron, Oliver, Nicholson, Drew, Ray Redrup, Bacon, Spink, Jarman, Love and Quirk.
It said
‘We the undersigned formally request that you remove our own Declaration of Interests forthwith and substitute this statement.’
Brodie: “Reform UK a racist organisation“
At Wednesday’s full council meeting at the tail end of the devolution debate, hostilities returned.
Councillor Brodie objected to Councillor Gladwin being included in high level devolution discussion with County Hall’s chief executive and other group leaders, as agreed at the start of the meeting.
He said,
“I…would warn every member of this council who believes in democracy that you maybe think this is the biggest challenge to you as a councillor but the biggest challenge isn’t this, it’s Reform UK.
“You are putting the leader of the ABC group (Councillor Gladwin) in this group of five, a threat to democracy…Reform UK a racist organisation.”
Chair Ian Dore interjected, saying,
“Councillor Brodie, that’s enough…we’re not having this tonight.”
Shouting then ensued, leading to the meeting being adjourned for a while.
Insults and threats ensued
Councillor Brodie called Councillor Adams a “fascist pig”, accusing him of making “threats across the room” at him.
Councillor Brodie said,
“Why do you think we’ve got a security guard in here tonight because he makes threats to me on a constant basis.”
Councillor Adams responded,
“I’m leaving the meeting…we’ve got someone here who is so out of order – he has no evidence.
“Geoff – look at the complaints that have come in over the years, I’ll think you’ll see far more towards you than against me.”
The meeting later reconvened after a break.
Delay in uploading the video
There has been a delay to the videos from both meetings being uploaded to the council’s YouTube channel.
The council say this is to the number of meetings held this week.
Once uploaded, you’ll be able to access them via the agenda for the meeting or the council’s YouTube channel.
Planning Committee
Extraordinary Meeting of Full Council
Article edit
1.25pm 3rd Oct 2025 – Subheadings, links to archive pages and info about recordings of meetings added
12.10pm 6th Oct 2025
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
