Tensions rose when Cheltenham Borough Council’s Deputy Mayor Sandra Holliday was re-elected to the role despite concerns over racism.
Two councillors said they opposed her nomination at a heated meeting due to her defence last year of former Cheltenham Borough Councillor Dennis Parsons who used the n-word at a meeting last June.
The former councillor was censured by the council after he used the racial slur to describe the name of his family’s black cat after the Second World War.
Speaking to the LDRS last year, Cllr Holliday said the former councillor’s repeated use of the racial slur in a council meeting was “ill-judged” but his broad point was that “we learn from the past”.
Councillor Holliday said in an email sent to her Liberal Democrat colleagues last year that social media posts made by borough councillors “added unnecessary fuel to the fire and stoked up comments by those reading the posts who were clearly unaware of the context”.
She also wrote in the email that the dialogue of TV shows such as Love Thy Neighbour in the 1970s was “not racist then, it was a sign of the times”.
Speaking at Monday’s annual selection of council meeting, Cheltenham Borough Councillor Wendy Flynn said re-electing Cllr Holliday as deputy mayor would make a mockery of the motion the council passed to support Black Lives Matter and its opposition to racism.
“During that meeting, and speaking on the BLM motion, the then Cllr Parsons made comments that were incredibly offensive and many councillors expressed their outrage and made complaints against Cllr Parsons that resulted in a standards board hearing,” she said.
“The Deputy Mayor elect was not one of those who expressed her outrage. In fact, she directed her anger at other Liberal Democrat councillors for calling out Parsons and accused them of being on a witch-hunt.
“She sent an email to all Liberal Democrat councillors reiterating her feelings.
“However it was meant, Cllr Parsons’ speech had a racist impact. Councillor Holliday’s defence of Cllr Parsons had a racist impact.”
She added that the emails sent by Cllr Holliday “had a racist impact”, that voting for her to be deputy mayor again “would be to ignore this and the harm done” and would also “have a racist impact”.
“The views expressed in Cllr Holliday’s email sought to excuse and even deny past racism, echoed the opinions of those who defend racism and failed to consider the hurt racism has caused and continues to cause.
“A mayor or deputy mayor who holds these views cannot represent the whole town and our diverse communities.“
Cllr Flynn said the outcome of an internal Liberal Democrats standards process means Cllr Holliday is currently independent and is not allowed to hold office for the party.
She is understood to be serving a six-month period of suspension from the Lib Dems.
“The process found that particular comments in her email were offensive and racist, that she did not appear remorseful and seemed reluctant to accept responsibility for her actions and she may not fully understand the offensive and racist nature of her comments,” Cllr Flynn said.
Cllr Holliday said she felt shocked and saddened by the comments made by Cllr Flynn.
“The complaint against me was heard in March and the sanctions applied,” the St Mark’s ward councillor said.
“The case was heard internally and by independent members of the Liberal Democrat national party.
“The outcome was accepted by myself and it’s disappointing that Cllr Wendy Flynn has chosen not to accept it also.
“This was an internal matter within the Liberal Democrat party which Cllr Flynn has tried to make greater than it is and cause a rift due to her as the complainant not seeking to accept the ruling.
“This illiberal attitude is against our party values.
“I issued an apology in February to the Liberal Democrat council group and I further apologised unreservedly. I can do no more.”
Councillor Garth Barnes said it was a difficult situation and people had strong views on racist comments.
He said: “Cllr Holliday has done two decades of unblemished service to this council and to her ward and her residents.
“My views are that if somebody does something wrong and has been made to pay a penalty for it, as Sandra has, that should be the end of the matter.
“She hasn’t, in my knowledge, been labelled a racist.
“She’s been told that her actions were unacceptable and she has been asked to do some training which she has done. That should be the end of the matter.”
A total of 14 councillors voted for Cllr Holliday’s election as deputy mayor, six against and 11 abstained.
Cheltenham Borough Councillor Steve Harvey was elected as the new mayor.
