Mayor is a ‘coward’ (From News Shopper)

Mayor is a ‘coward’

2:46pm Tuesday 5th July 2005 in Education News By Glenn Ebrey

SCHOOL campaigners heckled Lewisham Mayor Steve Bullock and labelled him a "coward" at a highly-charged council meeting.

Two opposition councillors asked the mayor to order an independent review into potential sites for a new school in the north of the borough.

But the mayor and Labour members refused to back the proposal leading to cries of "shame" and "cowards" from the public gallery.

The motion was tabled by Green Party councillor Darren Johnson and Socialist member for Telegraph Hill Councillor Ian Page.

As it was debated, the mayor came under fire from opposition members and a baying crowd.

Cllr Johnson attacked the "chaotic" plan to build a new school at Ladywell Leisure Centre.

Councillor Helen Le Fevre, who represents single-issue party LEAP Local Education Action for Parents (LEAP) said: "The new school proposal needs some new eyes to end this political groundhog day.

"It is time for the mayor to stop playing political hide and seek and get on with the debate."

Referring to delays in finalising the school at Ladywell, Conservative councillor David Britton told Mr Bullock: "I hate to say it but I told you so.

"It is time for you to re-think your decision, to go back, look at it again and get it right."

The mayor then took to his feet and launched a counter-attack on his opponents.

He accused the opposition parties of putting together a "weak argument" and described the school campaigners in the public gallery as a "rabble".

He was eventually forced to sit down after constant heckling and let deputy mayor Gavin Moore continue the defence.

All the opposition parties backed the call for an independent review but the motion was defeated by the Labour councillors.

No Labour members except the Mayor and his deputy spoke at the meeting, something which attracted a barrage of criticism from the public benches.

One campaigner attacked the process as "undemocratic" while others called the mayor "arrogant", before starting a slow handclap.