A senior West Berkshire Liberal Democrat, Cllr Adrian Abbs (Newbury Wash Common), has been condemned for comparing the former football ground at Faraday Road being included in the London Road Industrial Estate to Vladimir Putin’s annexation of parts of Ukraine.
The question, submitted to the next meeting of the Council’s Executive, has been disallowed by the Monitoring Officer for being distasteful.
It was made in reference to a recent LRIE Webinar which included the Faraday Road site in the LRIE.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an illegal invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, following an annexation of Crimea in 2014, which combined has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians, and displaced 6.3 million people who fled to Europe as refugees. 100,000 of which have been welcomed to the UK and hundreds here in West Berkshire.
Sharing his disgust at receiving the question, Cllr Ross Mackinnon (Bradfield, Conservative) said on Twitter:
“Shame on @WBerksLibDems. I’ve just received notice of a disgusting question to Executive next week which accuses @WestBerkshire council of conduct comparable to Putin’s actions in Ukraine. The Ukraine atrocity is an act of pure evil, causing human suffering and death...1/3”
“on a scale not seen in Europe since the Balkan Wars of the early 90s. It is an outrage which has cost the lives of tens of thousands of civilians and displaced millions of refugees. Here in West Berkshire our residents have opened their doors and hearts to Ukrainian guests...2/3”
“...providing safe haven from this appalling nightmare. @WBerksLibDems have decided to use the Ukraine tragedy to criticise the Council about a regeneration project in Newbury. Are there no depths to which they won’t sink? Shame on them.”
Cllr Abbs serves as the Liberal Democrat’s Shadow Portfolio Holder for the Environment, Climate Change and Public Protection – a portfolio which includes the “Homes for Ukraine” and “Family Scheme” schemes being run by the Council, which has welcomed hundreds of refugees fleeing the horrors of Russian aggression into West Berkshire and supported them, with 131 children now attending school, over 200 welfare checks conducted in this area, and an information leaflet on the principles of psychological first aid as a user friendly guide for hosts in development.
Many took to Twitter to share their disgust at the comparison:
The respected former Leader of West Berkshire Council, and well-known local Pharmacist who recently was awarded a “Point of Light” for his work vaccinating the community in the pandemic, Graham Jones, tweeted:
“In all my time at West Berks I cannot recall a question asked in such an offensive way. Hopefully the questioner will receive wiser counsel from his colleagues.”
Local Nurse Julia tweeted:
“My sister and her husband have taken in a Ukrainian lady and her daughter, they live in Cllr Abbs’ ward and are all disgusted that the pain and human suffering is seen as some sort of political football by a senior Lib Dem Cllr. The question doesn’t even make sense!?!”
Councillors from across Berkshire also weighed in, with Wokingham Councillors Laura Blumenthal and Pauline Jorgensen tweeting “Good grief. That’s horrendous” and “What on earth?”
West Berkshire Council’s Monitoring Officer has already disallowed the question for being ‘distasteful’. It is not yet known if the West Berkshire Liberal Democrat group agree with Cllr Abbs’ comparison, or if they will be taking action against him. No statement has yet been made by the group or the Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Lee Dillon.
