Residents claim they were humiliated at BCP Council meeting
A residents association chair has warned some councillor behaviour could discourage people from taking part in local democracy
The Chair of the Talbot Village Residents Association says residents were “belittled” and “humiliated” during a council meeting.
Jo Keeling presented a petition on behalf of residents to defer any decision on introducing new parish and town councils in Broadstone, Bournemouth and Poole until the next local elections in May 2027, but was “deeply saddened” by the way councillors treated the petition.
Jo Keeling said: “Regardless of any political or personal differences, every resident in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole deserves to be treated with respect.”
It comes after councillors asked how the petition started, if there were any technical issues, and about specific moments residents felt they weren’t being listened to.
Mrs Keeling added: “The way members of the public were spoken to simply for plucking up the courage to present a petition and ask questions on behalf of their community was completely unacceptable.
“To hurl insults across the chamber between councillors is one thing, but to publicly belittle and humiliate residents who engaged in the democratic process is quite another.”
In response Millie Earl, leader of the Three Town Alliance, said: “As deputy chairman of Bournemouth West Conservative Party, Conservative Party Activist and recent Conservative By-Election Candidate, it is disingenuous for Mrs Keeling to represent herself as nothing more than a concerned resident.”
“I know some may see moments like this through a political lens, but this is not about politics, it is about people,” Mrs Keeling said. “Every resident, whatever their views, should feel safe, respected, and heard when engaging with their council.”
“How would you feel if you stood up to speak for your community and were met with ridicule or hostility? That should not happen to anyone.
“If this kind of behaviour puts people off from presenting petitions, asking public questions, or even standing for election themselves, then we must ask is that really the kind of democracy we want?”
Cllr Earl said: “It is unfortunate that Mrs Keeling felt belittled and humiliated, but nothing said was incorrect and her affiliation to her political party was right to be raised in the interests of transparency. It’s only fair the public have the facts.
“We are proud to have turned BCP Council around since we took over from the Conservatives having restored scrutiny functions, balanced the books and put an end to the infamous Future Places.”
Robin Watson, Interim Monitoring Officer, said “We encourage everyone to contribute to the democratic process and we have a clear code of conduct in place which requires all councillors to respect diversity of views.
"We also have a clear procedure in place via our complaints process if people feel behaviour has fallen below those expectations."
Mrs Keeling acknowledged: “Of course, not all councillors behave this way, thankfully, there are many who do approach debate with integrity, kindness, and genuine respect, even when we disagree.
"I am truly grateful for those who uphold those values because they remind us of what public service should look like."