Fury as lefty says Queen is ‘little old lady living in biggest council house in London'
AN OUTSPOKEN left wing town councillor has outraged colleagues by describing the Queen as “a little old lady living in the country's biggest taxpayer funded council house in the middle of London.”
Simon Carter made the comment in response to members of Tewkesbury Town Council in Gloucestershire being asked what civic events the mayor or deputy mayor should attend in 2017.
He also spoke out against the “jingoistic overtly ongoing militaristic undertones” of the annual Remembrance Day events in the town and said they were brainwashing young people.
And he questioned the religious aspects of council meetings and Tewkesbury Abbey Vicar Canon Paul Williams’s involvement in them.
“Whilst on the subject of our agnostic and atheistic element, before we elect a new mayor I would like to discuss if we must continue with a religious element to our full council meetings,” he wrote.
“We have a choice about whether to go to church or not, that is the place for prayer, by choice. Having it foisted upon us at council meetings removes that element of choice, compounded by Paul Williams telling us we must pray for a little old lady living in the country's biggest tax payer funded council house in the middle of London.”
Former mayor, Councillor John Badham, replied to Mr Carter: “Your nasty observations about the Queen are beyond belief, and in my view alone makes you unfit to represent this town.”
I ask you to think about what you have said and apologise unreservedly to everyone immediately
Mr Carter also said, in his email to the council clerk and councillors, that the world was changing more quickly than ever before and he found the presumption that the council should attend all civic events old fashioned.
Criticising the nature of Remembrance Sunday in Tewkesbury, he said it failed to cater “for the pacifist element within the community who object to the jingoistic overtly ongoing militaristic undertones.”
He added: “I was particularly uncomfortable about the brain washing element inflicted upon the large number of children who I believe attended last year.”
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He said he shared people's respect and sorrow for all those killed in wars but wanted to stage an alternative ceremony containing silent reflection, no military element, no medals and no flag waving.
Those comments also enraged Mr Badham, whose son is in the Army and has had friends killed in action.
Mr Badham said the remarks were “gratuitously offensive especially to those military families like mine who are proud of those in their families and beyond who have served their countries with distinction.”
Councillor Vernon Smith said, in email to Mr Carter that his family had ties with the military, including his grandfather having fought in the First World War.
He said: “Simon, your comments are outrageous and totally disrespectful to men and women of Tewkesbury who have served their country.”
He added: “I ask you to think about what you have said and apologise unreservedly to everyone immediately.”