THE war of words between Labour and UKIP members of the Isle of Wight Council has continued.&am p;lt;br />Labour group leader Cllr Geoff Lumley was asked to leave an ill-tempered full council meeting on Wednesday, during which he branded UKIP councillors Graham Perks and Daryl Pitcher neo-fascists.
Cllr Pitcher, who was today (Friday) named as the new executive member for planning, housing and homelessness, said: "Cllr Lumley’s histrionics on Wednesday night brings shame on the Labour party and shows why they are not fit to govern either locally or nationally.
"He was about as anti-democratic as it is possible to get without being outright Stalinist. In not allowing other members or the chairman to even say one word without shouting them down shows the weakness of any argument he may have had."
He added: "Cllr Perks was understandably riled as his father was a tank commander fighting for the freedom of Britain and our allies during the war. Graham cares about others whereas Cllr Lumley thinks only of his own self entitlement."
But Cllr Lumley defended his actions.
"My protests were at the appalling and consistently incompetent chairman, who consistently favoured the new ruling alliance during debates, refused to clarify legitimate points of order, refused to answer serious enquiries, and proposed my expulsion from the meeting when he heard my own proposal of a vote of no confidence.
"I was expelled by the new anti-libertarian Tory/UKIP Alliance that is running County Hall, with fair-minded Isle of Wight Independents and the one LibDem voting against," he said.
He added: "Cllrs Pitcher's remarks belittling what people do in a free and democratic society when they have no other way of having their voice heard — protest marches, etc — is entirely representative of a member of the UKIP political party that would undoubtedly repress those freedoms if they ever achieved power.
"Freedoms that my ancestors also contributed to defending."
Isle of Wight Council chairman Cllr Charles Chapman declined to comment.