Councillor Caroline Gladwin, Interim Chair of the Isle of Wight Branch of Reform UK, shares her response to the recent news about the resignation of Councillor David Maclean. Ed
Councillor Maclean resigned after a family bereavement, that happened days before the by-election on 1st May that he has been struggling to support his family with ever since, and he deserved sympathy and support instead of public attack.
I consider that Conservative Councillor Paul Brading abused his position as Chairman of the Children’s Services Committee and the public platform that gave him to make a personal attack on David for non-attendance of meetings, when the correct action should have been to confidentially refer the matter to me as Reform UK Group Leader.
“Only missed one committee meeting”
He had ample opportunity to do this, but he chose instead to make it into a public personal attack on David. He was also not honest in his claim that David missed three Committee Meetings as it was just one, as the other meeting he counted was an informal one with Council Officers not open to the public, and of course the third one I was substituting for David on behalf of Reform UK and I was one of three substitutes at that meeting, but he failed to personally criticise anyone else for non-attendance.
Councillor Brading also claimed that attendance of this meeting was crucial to making future decisions and having attended it I dispute his claim. I will be bringing this matter to the Council on an official basis as I do not believe that this is acceptable behaviour by a Chairman of a Committee.
Further, I dispute his claim that David was replying to no emails at all from his residents from May, this was definitely not the case, and in fact happened later as he was failing with his personal struggles.
“Orchestrated public attack”
When it was clear David was struggling, we made the Group decision that I would substitute and replace him until he felt able to take up his Committee duties again.
However, he could not continue with his struggle any longer after this public attack orchestrated by Councillor Brading.
“Unacceptable attack on Reform UK”
Regarding Conservative Group Leader Councillor Ed Blake’s attack on David and Reform UK, I consider this unacceptable.
This shows a complete disregard for any personal values when you cannot even extend any compassion to someone who is suffering with the unbearable grief of the bereavement of a loved one and has chosen to put his family first.
I also consider his comments an attack on me when he claims that Reform UK is unfit for an elected position. I would remind him that I have been working very hard in my ward for my residents in addition to 100 per cent attendance of my committee meetings and taking over David’s committees as well, so it is not true to claim this.
I hope that this highlights the clearly very low values of the Isle of Wight Conservatives.
