Vote on stripping Prince Andrew of freedom of the city status is delayed

The meeting had been due to take place at York Racecourse until Wednesday night, when it was moved online, before finally being pulled altogether late on Thursday afternoon.

It will be held in-person later in April, the council said.

It means the vote to strip Prince Andrew of his freedom of the city status, which had been proposed by the Lib Dems, will not take place for now.

Several Liberal Democrat and Green Party councillors have contracted Covid or are close contacts of positive cases and fellow councillors had been told that the meeting would be held online for public health reasons.

But Labour and the Conservatives said the Lib Dems feared losing key votes and accused the group of using strong-arm tactics to ensure the meeting was held online and could be attended by those with Covid.

Government rules do not allow for council meetings where decisions are taken to be made online and opposition parties had raised concerns about the legality of the online meeting.

The online meeting would have been ‘informal’, with the decisions made sent on to chief operating officer, Ian Floyd, for ratification.

Lord Mayor, Coun Chris Cullwick, who was set to chair the meeting, said: “My role as Lord Mayor, first citizen and particularly on this occasion, as chair of council is to maintain a proper neutrality and a respect for all political points of view.

“It has become clear throughout the day that members across most political groups are not all content with the arrangements made, and I have therefore decided that it would be in the best interests both of fairness and the democratic process, and maintaining the rights of those who would otherwise have to be absent through illness, to adjourn these meetings.”

The episode served “as a vivid reminder that this pandemic is still far from over,” Coun Cullwick added.

Labour group leader Coun Pete Kilbane said the ruling administration was “trampling on local democracy”.

He added: “The meeting being moved online was in all probability illegal, and its little consolation that the council’s top officers have belatedly realised this at the eleventh hour.

“The impression that this council has no idea what it is doing is getting stronger and stronger with each passing week.”

Conservative group leader Paul Doughty said: “I can think of no precedent for this. There have always been councillors who have been unavailable whether through work, holiday or illness.

“Meetings have never been changed like this and this must be setting an incredible precedent that one too many councillors with a sniffle or a group facing a difficult vote with members unavailable simply ‘postpones’ the meeting.”

Liberal Democrat executive member for health, Carol Runciman, said: “Whilst restrictions have been eased, in reality, Covid is still very much around us and directly impacting our NHS and the most vulnerable.

“It’s disappointing that the Government has still not enabled councils to take full advantage of the safety and flexibility of remote meetings.

“The current lack of legislation compels councillors to consider breaking public health guidance in order to represent their residents; putting their colleagues, staff and members of the public in unnecessary danger.”