A councillor will be asked to make a public apology after the F-bomb was dropped during a live meeting broadcast to the world on YouTube.
Even after holding virtual meetings since last spring, some members of Milton Keynes Council still have problems finding the “mute” button on their Microsoft Teams platforms.
For ***** sakes,” said the voice, as clear as a rude chant leader on the football terraces.
The meeting had just fallen silent during the counting of votes to settle a debate after nearly three and a quarter hours of Wednesday night’s full council.
Mayor Cllr Andrew Geary (Cons, Newport North & Hanslope) had reminded councillors to treat each other courteously at the start of the evening.
He even reminded elected members of the need to switch off their cameras and microphones when they were not speaking.
And at one stage later on in the meeting he asked that members think about the noises they have in the background after the sounds of television and mobile phone beeps were heard.
Cllr Alice Jenkins (Cons, Danesborough & Walton), who had herself been visibly shocked earlier when her mobile phone went off as she was speaking, raised a point of order following the foul-mouthed outburst.
Cllr Jenkins said: “In between an earlier item a member of the council used incredibly bad language which is likely picked up on YouTube.
“I think probably there needs to be an apology to any members of the public who might have heard that language because it is certainly not right for a member of this council to be using it in a council meeting.”
The Mayor said that the swear word had not been heard in the council chamber.
“But I’ve had several members messaging me in the last five minutes to say that they have picked it up externally,” he said.
He added: “I’m going to ask that it be looked into, see if it is on the YouTube recording and we may well, if that comes out or the evidence can be supplied then we will indeed ask that individual, whoever it is, to give an apology. ”
Nobody owned up for the offensive gaffe during the meeting.
Councillors had been voting on a Conservative motion calling on the Labour-lead council to apologise for issues at the borough’s tower blocks at Mellish Court and the Gables.
During voting, members switch on their microphone, say whether they are for, against or wish to abstain, and then switch off again.
Unlike in the good old days of meetings in the council chamber, where it is more difficult for microphones to pick up expressions of frustration from our democratic masters, the microphones at home are much more unforgiving to those who drop the F-bomb.
Oh, and the Conservatives lost the vote by 36 to 16.
