A HEATED council meeting descended into a spat – with an SNP councillor accused of telling his opponents to address concerns with him “outside”.
Glasgow Labour councillor Frank McAveety claimed SNP member Graham Campbell had told the opposition to “shut up” during a meeting on Thursday.
He has pledged to take further action against Campbell and claimed his complaints fell on deaf ears when he attempted to address them with the SNP Lord Provost who was chairing the chaotic meeting.
McAveety tried to raise a point of order about the “conduct” of Glasgow’s full council meeting as it came to an end.
He said he had “distinctly heard” Campbell “shout across the chamber and tell other members of this chamber to ‘shut up’”.
“No action was taken,” he added. “Could you give us guidance and advice on how that matter can be addressed?”
In response, Campbell said: “You can address it with me outside.”
Addressing the Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren, McAveety said: “Someone in the chamber today, making a remark that seems to me quite challenging.”
He added the “conduct was unacceptable”.
McLaren told McAveety that the meeting was finished and to “speak to the business managers about it”.
After the meeting, the Labour group said Campbell had told female councillors to “shut up” and the Lord Provost had refused to hear a point of order.
McAveety, Labour’s business manager and a former Scottish Government minister, said: “The failure to intervene by the Lord Provost to protect members who had been shouted at by Campbell was unacceptable.
“Glasgow Labour will be taking these matters further.”
Responding to McAveety on social media, Campbell said: “Frank, even for you, this is really scraping a very empty barrel.
“The meeting had already ended and I gave you the chance to discuss your concerns with me. Can’t think why you’d think a Black man trying to reason is somehow a threat — especially given your own behaviour in chambers.”
The SNP group said it would not be commenting at this time.
The issue arose at the end of a heated debate on the plan to begin enforcement of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone from June this year.
Labour and Conservative councillors had been calling for a one-year delay while the SNP and Greens decided to continue with the current date.
McAveety was sacked from Jack McConnell’s government in 2004 when it emerged he had misled parliament over the reason for missing a grilling from MSPs – claiming he was detained on ministerial business when he was actually having his lunch.
He also was mocked earlier that year by a Glasgow sheriff after claiming he had been “terrorised” by anti-war protesters while campaigning in Govanhill.
Sheriff Graeme Warner said: “If this was the most frightening thing he has experienced in his career then he must live a very sheltered life.”
