Probe into councillor’s ‘fascist’ comments about women’s rights campaigners

A senior opposition councillor is being investigated for allegedly likening women’s rights campaigners to “fascists” during the debate on Bristol’s strip clubs.

Tory Cllr Richard Eddy is accused of breaching the city council’s member code of conduct with his comments at the licensing committee.

He has dismissed the probe as “rather absurd” saying it is a “crying shame that some members of the ‘woke’ brigade are terrified of free speech”.

It comes as a long-running dispute, including a formal independent investigation and the threat of libel action by two senior officers over previous comments by Cllr Eddy at a council meeting 18 months ago, is understood to have been finally resolved by agreement.

The Bishopsworth ward councillor told the pair at a human resources committee in February 2021 that their attempts to justify transferring about 200 cleaning and security staff to Bristol Waste were “worthy of Dr Goebbels and the Third Reich”, referring to Hitler’s minister of propaganda Joseph Goebbels.

During the recent licensing committee meeting where members, including Cllr Eddy, voted by 10-1 against a ban on sexual entertainment venues (SEVs), the Conservative said the local authority had been going round in circles on the issue for almost six years.

He said: “I do fear that actually part of this has not been that there is actually demand [for a nil cap on SEVs] out there in the city we represent but because of pandering to organisations like the Fawcett Society who – fascist-like – are actually trying to stamp down on activities they dislike.”

Labour Cllr Philippa Hulme, who spoke in favour of a “nil cap” – effectively a ban – and was the only committee member to vote against retaining the current limits of two strip clubs in the city centre and one in Old Market, told the meeting: “I don’t know if I heard this correctly that Cllr Eddy referred to the Fawcett Society as being like fascists.

“I just want to check that he said that and, if so, to say I think that’s unacceptable.”

Cllr Eddy replied: “To clarify, I didn’t say that. You’re making the same mistake that actually [director of workforce and change] John Walsh made at the HR committee in February last year.

“I actually said, ‘like fascist organisations they seem to be actually seeking to stamp out views they disapprove of’, and that’s my concern.”

Committee chairman Labour Cllr Marley Bennett told the City Hall meeting on July 28: “I would remind all councillors to choose their language carefully because obviously this is a serious debate which needs to be handled with the sensitivity it deserves.”

A complainant, who has asked the council to remain anonymous, has alleged Cllr Eddy’s comments breach the member code of conduct.

Cllr Eddy said in a statement: “I am aware there has been a rather absurd complaint under the Local Government Code of Conduct for Members over legitimate comments I made at the licensing committee dated July 28, 2022.

“Obviously, I cannot comment upon the specifics of the complaint, which are currently under investigation, but it seems a crying shame that some members of the ‘woke’ brigade are terrified of free speech in a country which used to claim to be the very bastion of free democracy.”

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said they could not comment.

An initial assessment of the complaint will be made before the monitoring officer decides whether a formal investigation is required. Bristol Fawcett was disbanded in May last year.

Cllr Eddy, along with fellow HR committee member Cllr Gary Hopkins, who was Lib Dem group leader at the time and now heads Knowle Community Party, was subject to an investigation following a complaint by Mr Walsh and head of facilities management David Martin over comments at the February 2021 meeting.

Cllr Hopkins told the committee he did “not believe a word of what has been presented to us by the management side”.

Mr Walsh replied: “Everything I’ve said is correct, and then being called a liar, I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer it.

“My background is very much looking after staff and workers and I wouldn’t do anything if I felt staff weren’t going to be treated properly.

“All I can do is assure you. If I’m a liar, I’m a liar, but I don’t think I am.”

The officers’ lawyers served the two councillors with a defamation claim demanding a retraction, public apology and damages.

Both members denied any wrongdoing and the matter is understood to have been resolved recently by agreement with no further action.