Newark & Sherwood District Council has launched an investigation after a full council meeting was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday, following what was described as a "breakdown in proceedings". The session, which was streamed online, devolved into chaos during a heated discussion concerning councillors' special responsibility allowances.
Sources present at the meeting indicated that Simon Forde, leader of the Independents for Newark & District group and portfolio holder for climate and the environment, was involved in an incident off-camera. He is alleged to have behaved aggressively towards Conservative councillor Penny Rainbow after she asked him to stop swearing. Mr Forde was subsequently seen gathering his belongings and leaving the meeting, with non-aligned Independent councillor Johno Lee heard stating, "he's threatened another councillor, absolutely not."
The meeting was being temporarily chaired by Labour councillor Linda Tift, as the usual chair and vice-chair had recused themselves due to the discussion relating to their own allowances. Councillor Tift was heard reacting with concern before calling an adjournment to "calm things down". After a 13-minute break, she described the situation as having "turned into a complete fiasco" and, following a vote, the meeting was adjourned until a later date.
The contentious debate centred on a Conservative motion to close a "loophole" in the council's special responsibility allowance (SRA) policy. The motion aimed to enforce a '1-SRA-only rule', preventing the chair and vice-chair from receiving two additional allowances despite holding multiple remunerated posts. Labour councillors, led by Paul Peacock, argued against the motion, asserting that the civic duties of the vice-chair and chair have always been considered separately.
Further tensions arose during the debate when Independent councillor Jean Hall accused Johno Lee of "threatening my life", an accusation Mr Lee denied. It is understood that Mr Forde's intervention in this argument off-camera minutes later directly preceded the dispute with Councillor Rainbow. Conservative group leader Jack Kellas condemned Mr Forde's behaviour as "completely unacceptable" and warned of potential "serious reputational damage" to the council.
A spokesperson for Newark and Sherwood District Council confirmed the adjournment, expressing disappointment at how the meeting concluded. They stated the council is committed to high standards of conduct and will investigate the events. "We will also review the next procedural steps and where no decisions were taken on remaining items, these will be considered when the meeting is reconvened," the spokesperson added.