Bedford Green councillor accused of 'dredging the barrel of human decency' for 'playing the race card' in debate over cycling ban

Green councillors were accused of 'dredging the barrel of human decency' by bringing up racism in a heated exchange about cycling rules in Bedford.

Councillor Charles Royden, portfolio holder for environment, highways and transport, said they were 'playing the racism card' to justify riding bikes on pavements after it was suggested that the Equality Act could be used against the council.

The jab came after Green councillor Ben Foley (Castle Ward) claimed that black people were more likely to receive tickets for cycling at Bedford Borough Council's executive (Wednesday, March 2) ahead of a vote on the Town Centre Restriction Zone.

"I need to ask members of the executive, do you really want cases under the Equality Act to be taken against the council over this ban," he asked.

"Despite my repeated urging and emails in December and January, the equality impact analysis of this proposal was not adequate.

"An adequate equality impact assessment would have revealed what I did, that black people are over-represented a multiple of four times amongst those who've had tickets issued against them

"The statistics in the report indicate that 10 per cent of tickets were issued to a section of the population which the census indicates make up less than four per cent of Bedford's population.

"Nationally black people are far less likely to cycle than the population as a whole.

"Together those factors mean that black people appear to have received £18,000 of excess fines.

"Are you really going to go against the majority view expressed in the consultation to approve a ban renewal when these serious worries about racist implementation hang over it?" he asked

Councillor Royden (LibDems, Brickhill Ward), said: "I'm really disappointed that you've raised this.

"The Green councillors have been looking for any loophole that they can find to ride their bikes on pavements and pedestrianised areas, and having not been successful in trying to campaign on accident rates, disabilities or public health, you're now using the subject of racism.

"And racism is very serious, and people have died, given their lives, to fight racism.

"So to play the racism card to justify riding your bikes on pavements, contrary to the Highway Act, the traffic regulation order (TRO), and the Highway Code, is undignified.

"Moreover, to say that this council or its officers are racist is utterly shameful,

and you are dredging the barrel of human decency by alleging that we would bring forth policies that were racist or that our officers would discriminate against people of colour.

"Now you might think it's very clever, but using this racism card falsely, as you have, brings your argument into disrepute and I wish you'd withdraw it," he said.

Councillor Doug McMurdo (Independent, Sharnbrook Ward), the portfolio holder for leisure and culture, said: "I've had an email from a resident quoting and outlining what's just been described.

"They've actually suggested, councillor Foley, this has come and arisen from you, that in the event that I support this [Town Centre Restriction Zone] I could be deemed as being racist.

"I'm going to put on record there are proper processes within this council through the code of conduct and that is the standards board.

"And if you think in the event councillor Foley that if I do support this that I am being racist, I suggest you take that to standards board.

"Like councillor Royden, I think you ought to withdraw what's been put in print, because I am personally deeply disgusted and offended," he said.

Bedford mayor, Dave Hodgson, said: "Racism and the lack of a proper equality assessment is a very serious issue, and something which this council will not tolerate.

"It is also a serious issue when data is misused and misrepresented.

"The analysis presented has been carried out in a flawed way, it is not possible to compare two different systems of ethnicity categories as has been attempted by you.

"They are totally different definitions of that ethnicity and to try to compare them is a misuse of data and wouldn't be recognized by any official body.

"I would expect a higher standard for yourself council Foley."

"I have not accused anybody of racism, anybody at all," councillor Foley replied.

"I've also not merely raised this at this stage, questions of differential ethnic impact were in amongst comments that I emailed to people back as far back as December.

"And I have also been inquiring of the council about the equality impact assessment with respect to ethnic questions back as far back as December.

"I am fully aware that there are different ethnic classifications that are used in the different circumstances.

"We have you, the mayor, and other councillors jumping through linguistic hoops to claim that the PSPO is not a ban on cycling in the town centre.

"The agenda document says 'no person shall cycle ride a bicycle through the main pedestrian area of Bedford town centre'.

"That is a ban, now it might be that there is another ban under the TRO, I know some of you will mention that the council has powers to change that it should.

"If it decided now to not renew the cycling PSPO it could even more easily

decide to amend the TRO.

"It is pure sophistry to claim that the question issue here is not about the continuance of the ban on cycling the doubts.

"Councillors who claim otherwise are dissembling for political convenience, and they know it," he said.