Gosport councillors row over Captain Sir Tom Moore applause during council meeting

Prior to Gosport Borough Council’s full council yesterday, some councillors asked for the meeting to be postponed for five minutes.

They wanted to join the doorstep applause for the fundraising veteran, who died on February 2 after contracting Covid-19.

The virtual meeting could not be postponed but councillors instead held a moment’s applause virtually both for Captain Tom and Ron Cross MBE, a Gosport veteran who died last month aged 100.

But mid-meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Hammond posted on Facebook accusing council leader Cllr Mark Hook of preventing members from clapping with their neighbours.

This drew fierce criticism from Conservative councillors, who believed Cllr Hammond was playing politics unnecessarily.

Cllr Hammond’s post, uploaded to his Bridgemary Focus page on Facebook but subsequently deleted, said: ‘Sadly Conservative leader of the council, Cllr Mark Hook, did not delay the full council meeting for five minutes tonight, so councillors who mostly join online could clap at their doors in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore, as requested by their own prime minister.

‘Cllr Steve Hammond did stand at his front door with his family and clapped for Captain Sir Tom Moore and all health workers.’

Deputy council leader, Cllr Graham Burgess, demanded an apology from the Liberal Democrat councillor.

‘I would like this to be considered by the standards and governance committee,’ Cllr burgess said.

‘I just wanted to say it, while we’re live, so members of the public could understand what Cllr Hammond is playing at.’

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Cllr Mark Hook added: ‘I would ask Cllr Hammond to put that I don’t have the authority to stop a full council meeting from happening.

‘I find it a little bit distasteful to blame me so I would ask him to withdraw that and put an apology to me.

‘I’m a little bit perturbed that my name has been used – it’s what gives councillors a bad name.’

An email was sent around by council officers before the meeting to inform members that the meeting could not be delayed.

Cllr Julie Westerby, another Liberal Democrat councillor, suggested Cllr Hammond might not have seen the email.

Cllr Hammond did not respond during the meeting.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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