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A very unusual meeting was held in Sandhurst about a subject that is not an issue, and which the Town Council had already decided not to debate.
There was a boycott at Sandhurst Town Council on Tuesday, July 7, evening as a majority of the councillors including all Liberal Democrats and the one Labour Councillor didn’t show up for an extraordinary meeting to debate so-called ‘councils of sanctuary’.
But while two of the three main political parties refused to show up, the Conservatives did and were criticised for ‘enabling’ Reform UK.
Liberal Democrat Mike Forster said: “It was a pointless exercise, the Council had already voted against discussing a meaningless motion that was nothing to do with Sandhurst Town Council.
“It’s a shame that the Conservatives decided to become a mouthpiece for the far right, helping to spread their policies of hate and division. Shame on them.”
On June 25, Sandhurst Town Councillors were due to debate a motion proposed by Reform UK Campaign Manager John Edwards to say that accommodating ‘illegal’ asylum seekers put residents’ safety at risk and asserting that there was ‘continued uncertainty’ about Bracknell Forest’s ‘plans to work towards becoming a council of sanctuary’.
But a majority of councillors voted against even discussing the motion, on the grounds that Bracknell Forest have no such plans and it isn’t the role of the parish council to discuss it.
However, despite the fact that no political party supports the plan, Reform’s Campaign Director who is also a Sandhurst Town Councillor was eager to debate it and after a majority of the council voted not to, an emergency meeting was called.
One of the councillors voting against discussing the issue in June was moderate conservative Nick Allen, but yesterday Mr Allen switched sides and supported the motion, to the surprise of some.
Cllr Mike Forster (Lib Dem) said: “Sad that Nick Allan voted for such a lot of clap-trap. No idea why the Tories think enabling Reform is a good idea.”
Cllr Nick Allen said: “I’m not in favour of Sandhurst Town Council debating council of sanctuary but on this occasion I let it go.
“I’m not in favour of the policy but it has nothing to do with Sandhurst Town Council.”
“I didn’t think the amendment was as good as I wanted it to be. I thought Dale would say something different.”
The motion proposed by Reform’s John Edwards was amended by veteran conservative Dale Birch and the amended motion was passed unanimously by the council.
Across the political spectrum in Bracknell Forest, politicians agree that vulnerable refugees are welcome in Britain, Ukrainians, Afghans, and in Sandhurst, particularly Nepalese, but don’t want do significantly expand this.
According to politicians on all sides: Bracknell town centre has gone the extra mile, hosting Afghans at the Grange Hotel who served alongside British Forces in Afghanistan.
For many years, Sandhurst has hosted a large population of Nepalese – families of former gurkha soldiers who have served with the British Army – with most local parties agreeing this amounts to Bracknell Forest doing its bit.
Bracknell MP Peter Swallow recently appealed to the minister to allow Bracknell’s hosting of Afghans in the Grange hotel to count as a significant contribution to supporting refugees.
John Edwards said: “It’s not for Sandhurst Town Councillors to decide which meetings to attand. It’s very disappointing that they didn’t show up.
“The Afghan re-settlement scheme is too wide. There were only 1,600 interpreters but 50,000 people have come over including human rights activists and LGBT people.
“It’s unfair that Afghans under the resettlement scheme are housed in hotels, but a British veteran in Bracknell and his family have been housed in a one bedroom flat with severe mold for five years.”
Approving of Peter Swallow MP’s action in the house of commons, Mr Edwards said: “I think it’s the right thing to do, but he’s playing catch-up.
“If even Labour is saying that there’s a limit to how much we can help then it shows that it’s a legitimate debate.”
