Extra security was put in place at Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet meeting this week, following the suspension of a previous full council meeting after a protest in the public gallery.
The measures were introduced days after anti racism protestors halted last Thursday’s meeting, which ended with police officers escorting people out of the council chamber.
On Wednesday, four security guards were positioned at entrances to County Buildings on Martin Street in Stafford. Visitors were asked to show identification before entering the building.
Additional guards were also stationed inside the council chamber, including around the public gallery. Just nine people were present in the gallery during the meeting, including a Local Democracy Reporter, who was required to leave their coat and bag at the entrance. Members of the press would usually report from a designated desk inside the chamber.
The cabinet meeting itself passed without disturbance and proceeded as normal. The enhanced security arrangements for the day cost £750.
Last week’s disruption took place during a full council meeting, when members of the Stafford Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, known as SCARF, began chanting calls for cabinet members to resign. The protest followed allegations that former council leader Ian Cooper had made racist and offensive comments on social media platforms X and YouTube. Mr Cooper has since resigned.
Protestors also called for the resignations of cabinet members Peter Mason and Chris Large, who have both been accused of racist social media activity. Councillor Mason has apologised for posts made before his election.
There were also reports of items being thrown from the public gallery during last Thursday’s meeting, prompting police intervention and the suspension of proceedings.
Wednesday’s cabinet meeting was the first to be chaired by acting council leader Martin Murray, who addressed the events of the previous week.
He said:
“As councillors we are elected by the people in our communities to represent them, to champion Staffordshire and to deliver more for the people of this great county. This is a terrific honour for every county councillor.
“The strength in democracy is that everyone has the right to debate, to disagree and even to protest at times. But this must be done peacefully and to allow due process.
“I have already made it clear that racism and hate have no place in this council or this country, but I want to repeat that today. Our focus must be on bringing people together, not on division.”
Staffordshire County Council confirmed that the security arrangements followed a review carried out after last Thursday’s disruption.
A council spokesperson said:
“We have a duty to keep anyone attending a county council meeting safe. In light of the events of the previous full council meeting where objects were thrown at councillors from the public gallery, we employed extra security to ensure the safety of county councillors, officers and members of the public.
“These security measures will be constantly reviewed going forward and are not a permanent change. The meeting passed without incident and we would like to thank everyone for their co operation.”
