Councillor in 'braindead' row steps downThe councillor at the centre of the ‘braindead’ critics comments has resigned from his cabinet position at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.
After demands were made for him to stand down amid a stormy meeting at the Town Hall, Cllr Barry Longden has relinquished his role as cabinet member responsible for housing, health and communities.
But the former mayor will remain as the Kingswood ward representative.
Opposing Conservatives called for him to stand down over the comments he made, in an email and on a Facebook post, which referred to critics of the council’s action against unauthorised traveller encampments as ‘braindead’ and ‘morons’.
Following a wrangle about whether a motion for him to stand down was legal due to a formal complaint being made and a pending standards committee hearing, and a 40 minute adjournment, councillors returned to the chamber and Cllr Longden made an announcement.
“I hold my colleagues over here in very high regard, they are hard-working people and they do their best for the people in the borough and I am not prepared to sit here and listen to the abuse from over the other side, left, right and centre," Cllr Longden said.
“On that basis, in defence of my own future I suppose, I will not sit in a kangaroo court and I will now resign my post on the cabinet in order to get a fair hearing on the standards committee, where I hope my comments will then be heard and made public.
“As of now, this is my resignation from the cabinet."
Having proposed the motion for him to resign over what he described as 'deeply, deeply offensive' and 'painful' comments, Cllr Kris Wilson, leader of the Tories, replied that they would remove the motion.
"I thank Councillor Longden for doing the honourable thing and resigning from his post," Cllr Wilson said.