The Wembley Observer reports the Libraries Protest at the Council AGM here, but doesn't go into much of the background. A small group of campaigners stood up with a protest banner just as Cllr Ann John was nominating the Mayor. The Chief Executive asked them to leave, asked Cllr Lorber to ask them to leave (as he seems to have invited them) and then iordered them out. A significant part of the audience applauded when he did this.
There has been a history going back several years of Cllr Paul Lorber and the Liberal Democrat group using the Mayor making for political protest. This has attracted controversy in the past as the role of Mayor is traditionally seen as less political than (say) an Executive Member. It also spoils the occasion for the Community Champions getting their awards for years of voluntary work.
The Council some years ago decided to split the Community Champion Award from the business part of the meeting to avoid this politicisation. This year, all three parties agreed to bring it back together and promised to avoid making it political. Cllr Paul Lorber was party to this agreement, but evidently decided to break his word in an effort to score political points.
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