Councillors who had planned to discuss the rising issue of domestic violence in Milton Keynes were forced to cancel their discussion after a debate about a second Brexit referendum was moved higher up the agenda instead.
The Liberal Democrats had moved a motion to call for a second referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union, which was originally scheduled as the sixth agenda item at the full Council meeting last night.
A discussion on Milton Keynes Council's strategy for dealing with the rising issue of domestic violence was scheduled to come first, with figures showing over 19 cases of domestic violence in our area every single day last year.
The motion was intended to provide support for a new Domestic Violence Coordinator in the city as well as introducing a new Domestic Violence Strategy to tackle the issue.
But the debate was cancelled in favour of a discussion regarding a second Brexit referendum, which Milton Keynes Council has no legal authority to force or action.
One Conservative councillor described the decision to prioritise the Brexit discussion as "outrageous" with another saying "what a joke this Council and administration is".
Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors passed the motion, calling for "all options to secure the future prosperity of Milton Keynes to be supported, including a People’s Vote on any final Brexit deal or no deal with an option to stay in the EU."
All Conservative and Independent councillors voted against the amended motion.
Council Leader Cllr Peter Marland said: "Labour councillors in Milton Keynes supported a motion that backs keeping all options open on Brexit. Theresa May is clearly being held hostage by fanatics in her party that want to leave the EU at any costs. If she can’t negotiate a deal that benefits the U.K, she should make way for the Labour Party who will."
"However I fear this divided Government will limp on and therefore if they seek to force a destructive no deal on this country, we must keep the option to put that to the people open.”
The domestic violence debate will now take place next month instead.
Cllr Andrew Geary, former Conservative leader of Milton Keynes Council, said: "My point is that I'm angry that there were some desperately needed debates that should have happened last night and they didn't because we chose to debate an item that we have no control whatsoever over. I respect people's rights to campaign for a second, or third, referendum."
"I don't agree with them but I respect that they have the right to do it! But please, not at the expense of stopping a debate on domestic violence where we currently have 19 cases a day in MK and rising and no strategy in place to deal with it. That won't now be debated for another 6 weeks.''
