Two traditional rivals have joined forces in an attempt to stop febrile Warwickshire County Council debates from descending into personal and politicised bunfights.

The county's Labour group has brought forward a motion – a statement of intent that becomes the will of the council if voted through – to back the Local Government Association's 'Debate not Hate' campaign.

The idea is to "challenge the normalisation of abuse against public officials" and safeguard democracy at a local level but it comes at a time when cabinet and full council debates at Shire Hall are beset by councillors interrupting each other, disrespectful, defamatory and personal remarks and sarcastic laughter and applause.

Motions are often put forward and seconded – supported – by members of individual parties but on this occasion, Conservative group leader Cllr Adrian Warwick is the co-signatory to what reads like a carefully-crafted plea for Warwickshire to clean up its act.

It asks that Warwickshire County Council formally endorses the LGA campaign and gets behind beliefs that politicians, candidates and public servants should not face threats to personal safety or online or in-person harassment in the line of duty, that debates should not descend into "personal abuse, defamation or intimidation" and that the council should "uphold the highest standards of civility, protect the wellbeing of its members and staff and set a positive example for public discourse".

By accepting the motion, councillors would be committing to a "refreshed programme of member development on the Councillor Code of Conduct, including expectations regarding respectful behaviour, social media activity and the maintenance of high standards in public debate". All county councillors would be offered fresh training "during the current municipal year".

Councillors would also be signing up to a "zero-tolerance approach to abuse, harassment and intimidation within the council's chambers, committee meetings and official digital platforms" with "clear, accessible and robust reporting mechanisms" to be established for councillors and council staff experiencing any kind of abuse.

There is also a pledge to seek a partnership with Warwickshire Police and the county's Police & Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe to ensure issues are "taken seriously and handled efficiently".

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Motions are decided by a simple majority in the vote with rival parties able to put forward amended versions should they wish to.