Rap on the knuckles for Cleethorpes councillor for daring to speak his mind in scrutiny panel debate

 

How the controversy was reported last week in The Daily Telegraph newspaper

THE only Reform councillor on North East Lincolnshire Council is at the centre of  controversy after suggesting that the normal ups-and- downs of life  are sometimes self-diagnosed as 'mental health problems'. 

At a scrutiny panel meeting, Cllr Oliver Freeston (Croft Baker, Cleethorpes) postulated whether some individuals might be using such complaints in the same way as  others use 'back pain'.

However when his remarks were reported in the media, there was a mini-backlash with protests reported to have been made  from both outside the council and within. 

Since then, Cllr Freeston  has been cautioned by an unnamed NELC 'compliance officer' that he should  moderate such contentious sentiments in future for fear of causing further offence.  

Cllr Freeston  defected from the Conservatives to Reform in  time to stand - unsuccessfully - as his new party's candidate for the  Grimsby and Cleethorpes constituency at the last General Election.

Latest word is that  he regards the pressure from the compliance officer as an attempt to restrict his democratic right to free speech, and he has no intention of complying.