Agenda item

Councillor Rory Vaughan left the room for the duration of this item.

The Mayor noted that an amendment to the special motion had been submitted by the Administration.

9.24pm – Councillor Bora Kwon moved, seconded by Councillor Omid Miri, the special motion in their names:

“This Council notes:

·       The Covid-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to Hammersmith and Fulham and the country more widely, requiring strict adherence to public health and lockdown guidelines to protect lives and mitigate the spread of the virus.

·       Shaun Bailey was a candidate for Mayor in the elections held in 2021, which would have seen him have significant responsibility for policing, transport, planning and other important matters in Hammersmith in Fulham.

·       The Shaun Bailey campaign for London mayor held a party on 14 December 2020 at Conservative Central Office in violation of lockdown rules, demonstrating a concerning lack of judgment and disregard for public safety. At the time, London was under Tier-2 restrictions, meaning people were banned from socialising indoors. A video of the party showing people dancing and singing was subsequently shared with the Metropolitan Police.

·       On 13 October 2023, the Met issued fines to 24 attendees at the party. It said, “We would not routinely investigate breaches of the Covid regulations retrospectively, and only do so where there is evidence of a serious and flagrant breach.”

·       Cabinet minister Michael Gove on 18 June 2023 called the party “indefensible” and said, “I just want to apologise to everyone”. Mr Gove also said, “As I understand it, this was an event that was organised by the people who were running the mayoral campaign for Shaun Bailey.”

·       Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham, was Chair of the Bailey campaign. He is now running the Conservatives’ campaign across the country as Chair of the Conservative Party. He has ignored questions asking what he knew about the Bailey party and what action he took once he became aware of it.

·       On 20 October 2023 Mr Hands gave a disingenuous reply to Nick Robinson on the Today programme when asked if he had sacked the 24 people fined for the illegal party. He said the event had occurred three years ago and long predated him being Chairman of the Conservative Party. He failed to mention that he had actually chaired the mayoral campaign that held the party.

This Council believes:

·       Hammersmith and Fulham residents made huge sacrifices during the periods when London was under lockdown and other public health restrictions.

·       Organising a campaign party during lockdown reveals a failure to prioritise public safety and displays a lack of respect for the sacrifices made by the wider community and the efforts to contain the virus.

·       A campaign chair is expected to be fully aware of their campaign's activities, decisions and any potential violations of regulations, particularly during a critical time like a lockdown. They set the culture for a campaign and also take accountability for its actions.

This Council resolves:

·       To call upon Greg Hands to show integrity and accountability as Chair of the Bailey campaign by issuing a public apology for the campaign’s “jingle and mingle” party in violation of his own government’s Covid lockdown rules, and by clarifying what he knew about the party and when, and what action he took.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Bora Kwon, Omid Miri, Jacolyn Daly, Ben Coleman, Liz Collins, Nicole Trehy, and Ross Melton (for the Administration) – and Councillor Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler (for the Opposition).

The guillotine fell at 10.02pm. Councillor Bora Kwon made a short speech summing up the debate.

Administration Councillors called for a named vote:

FOR:                      33

AGAINST:               9

NOT VOTING:        1

The recommendations were declared CARRIED.

10.08pm – RESOLVED

This Council notes:

·       The Covid-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to Hammersmith and Fulham and the country more widely, requiring strict adherence to public health and lockdown guidelines to protect lives and mitigate the spread of the virus.

·       Shaun Bailey was a candidate for Mayor in the elections held in 2021, which would have seen him have significant responsibility for policing, transport, planning and other important matters in Hammersmith in Fulham.

·       The Shaun Bailey campaign for London mayor held a party on 14 December 2020 at Conservative Central Office in violation of lockdown rules, demonstrating a concerning lack of judgment and disregard for public safety. At the time, London was under Tier-2 restrictions, meaning people were banned from socialising indoors. A video of the party showing people dancing and singing was subsequently shared with the Metropolitan Police.

·       On 13 October 2023, the Met issued fines to 24 attendees at the party. It said, “We would not routinely investigate breaches of the Covid regulations retrospectively, and only do so where there is evidence of a serious and flagrant breach.”

·       Cabinet minister Michael Gove on 18 June 2023 called the party “indefensible” and said, “I just want to apologise to everyone”. Mr Gove also said, “As I understand it, this was an event that was organised by the people who were running the mayoral campaign for Shaun Bailey.”

·       Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham, was Chair of the Bailey campaign. He is now running the Conservatives’ campaign across the country as Chair of the Conservative Party. He has ignored questions asking what he knew about the Bailey party and what action he took once he became aware of it.

·       On 20 October 2023 Mr Hands gave a disingenuous reply to Nick Robinson on the Today programme when asked if he had sacked the 24 people fined for the illegal party. He said the event had occurred three years ago and long predated him being Chairman of the Conservative Party. He failed to mention that he had actually chaired the mayoral campaign that held the party.

This Council believes:

·       Hammersmith and Fulham residents made huge sacrifices during the periods when London was under lockdown and other public health restrictions.

·       Organising a campaign party during lockdown reveals a failure to prioritise public safety and displays a lack of respect for the sacrifices made by the wider community and the efforts to contain the virus.

·       A campaign chair is expected to be fully aware of their campaign's activities, decisions and any potential violations of regulations, particularly during a critical time like a lockdown. They set the culture for a campaign and also take accountability for its actions.

This Council resolves:

·       To call upon Greg Hands to show integrity and accountability as Chair of the Bailey campaign by issuing a public apology for the campaign’s “jingle and mingle” party in violation of his own government’s Covid lockdown rules, and by clarifying what he knew about the party and when, and what action he took.