The councillor in charge of Warwickshire's libraries was slammed in Shakespeare's language for a "staggering lack of respect" towards protestors.

Approximately 50 people gathered on the steps of Warwickshire County Council's Shire Hall headquarters, Warwick, on Wednesday (July 1) in a stance against plans to review displays and promotional material in libraries and other council spaces.

It was attended by residents of all five of Warwickshire's districts or boroughs, including retired librarians, members of a book club in Atherstone, the chair of Nuneaton Pride, county councillors and wheelchair users.

Two men and two women, including one man in an Advance UK t-shirt which advocated free speech, watched from the other side of the road before heading into the meeting. There was a police presence but the protest was peaceful throughout.

It follows council leader Cllr George Finch alleging that the county's libraries had been "promoting contested gender ideology", later referencing displays that were created to celebrate Pride month in June in an interview with the BBC.

Dismissive

Despite it appearing to be the biggest of the protests since Reform UK took charge of the council, portfolio holder for resources and internal affairs Councillor Mike Bannister (Reform UK, Nuneaton Abbey) estimated that "20 people at best" when responding to public speakers.

He then told them: "I think you have to remember that you don't represent all of the people of Warwickshire – you think you do, you assume you do, but you don't."

Cllr Finch, who was present for the bulk of the debate but did not speak, and his deputy Cllr James Crocker both nodded at the comment.

Cllr Bannister added: "The ordinary people will welcome this review because they want assurance that their children, their families, are going into a safe and reasonable environment."

He had been responding to seven speeches in which objectors questioned the evidence of need for such a review, the resource the council would take up in conducting it and whether recent comments by and complaints against senior Reform UK councillors would taint public trust in any review before it starts.

Many also found it no coincidence that other Reform councils had recently wheeled out similar initiatives.

Cllr Bannister reiterated that there was no intention to ban books and hit back at observations that there had been only one formal complaint in relation to libraries.

"We talk to residents on doorsteps, they feed into us," he said.

"I don't know where everyone has been, have you not been watching the news lately? Everywhere people are raising concerns about what is happening in libraries and schools.

"That is in the popular idiom and councillors hear it every day. That doesn't mean someone is going to make a formal complaint but if someone wants to tell me this isn't the subject of national discussion then they have clearly been living in a tent at the bottom of the garden without a BBC licence."

On the perceived waste of scarce council resources when the council has bigger issues to deal with, Cllr Bannister said Reform and council staff "can handle them all", insisting "we're multi-tasking".

He was afforded a ripple of applause from the four free speech advocates that had gathered near the protest.

From Shakespeare with (not a lot of) love

Cllr David Curtis said he was "not really concerned whether Councillor Bannister is getting annoyed by legitimate questions", adding: "There has been a staggering lack of respect shown to the residents who have taken the time to come here to express their points and put legitimate questions, which have not, in my view, been answered by the portfolio holder.

"I am reminded of a quote from Macbeth. 'A tale… full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'."

It is not known whether Cllr Curtis intentionally omitted the part of the play's line that states the tale was 'told by an idiot' but he went on to say there had been one official complaint about the library service from just shy of 1.2 million visits.

That point was picked up on by Cllr Keith Kondakor in labelling the review a "waste of time".

"We have 58 complaints a year now about councillors," he said.

"We had one complaint about books. We must have tens of thousands of complaints about potholes, we have complaints about recycling centres, we have lots of complaints but libraries are the one thing we do not have complaints about.

"Generally if people don't like a book they don't go to that section."

He added: "So many people die in Warwickshire on the roads, or by drowning. You go to scrutiny committees where we have so many important issues, one this week talked about palliative care and hospices.

"One person complains about a library book, one council leader doesn't like a Pride flag in a library, this is not the end of the world. Get on with our lives, sort out the important stuff."

Labour group leader Cllr Sarah Feeney expressed fear over the consequences of any kind of political interference.

"When you read things about where books should be placed, should they be put on shelves separately, that's not inclusion – in my world that's called segregation," she said.

"We have to work really hard (against) saying to people 'your section is around the back in the corner because we don't want anyone seeing it'. That would be wrong and it is the genuine worry that people have about this review.

"We have to be inclusive."

The outcome

This was a scrutiny meeting to offer feedback on the review process, what it will look at and who will conduct it rather than the outcomes which will come forward in September and October.

The Liberal Democrats called to scrap the review but that was rejected by Reform, Conservative and Restore Britain councillors, as was their subsequent suggestion to limit the scope to libraries until evidence of any problems with other council buildings was submitted.

Chair Cllr Andy Crump had used his casting vote to turn down those options but he did vote in favour of requesting the review to be conducted by members of different parties, not just three Reform UK cabinet members as suggested.

That recommendation will be considered by Cllr Finch who has discretion to agree to or reject the request.

A recommendation to make the terms of reference clearer was also voted through.