County Council chief shows true colours
adelayde | 03.12.2010 12:34 | Education | Other Press | Public sector cuts | Oxford
The bigotry of Oxfordshire County Councils chief was laid bare for all to see on the 30th November, when local freemason Councillor Keith Mitchell posted on his blog how he considered those 6th form students who invaded County Hall to be nothing more than "student rabble".
The full text from Keith Mitchell's blog reads: "Student rabble invade County Hall County Hall was invaded by a scruffy student rabble today protesting about spending cuts. They charged into the building, overpowering our hall keepers and dispersed in various directions. Some got onto the roof; others found their way to the Councillor's wing on the first floor and were running amok along the corridor outside my office. I barricaded myself in my office with my PA and Cllr Charles Shouler. They were noisy and scruffy.
They made a mess in our Member's Lounge and just about everywhere else that they went. When the police arrived and turfed them out, they left their protest banners and posts behind along with their rations. I wonder who paid for the wooden posts they were carrying and I wonder who tipped them off about the internal layout of County Hall?
The police were excellent and got them out after which they rampaged around the streets. If these oiks are our future, God help our country."
Describing himself on his oh-so-90s-style web site as active in Freemasonry and a keen supporter of country sports, who was proud to be marching for Liberty and Livelihood on 22 September 2002, Councillor Keith appears to have neglected to see that the students who have been demonstrating these last weeks are also marching for their Liberty and Livelihood.
In response to Mitchell's comment that the students were "scruffy", a number of students amassed again on the County Council's offices on Thursday, but this time dressed-to-the-nines (see
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8717542.Student_protesters_spruce_up_to_make_their_point/).
If these are the kind of bigoted people we have in charge of our councils, then God help our country indeed!
They made a mess in our Member's Lounge and just about everywhere else that they went. When the police arrived and turfed them out, they left their protest banners and posts behind along with their rations. I wonder who paid for the wooden posts they were carrying and I wonder who tipped them off about the internal layout of County Hall?
The police were excellent and got them out after which they rampaged around the streets. If these oiks are our future, God help our country."
Describing himself on his oh-so-90s-style web site as active in Freemasonry and a keen supporter of country sports, who was proud to be marching for Liberty and Livelihood on 22 September 2002, Councillor Keith appears to have neglected to see that the students who have been demonstrating these last weeks are also marching for their Liberty and Livelihood.
In response to Mitchell's comment that the students were "scruffy", a number of students amassed again on the County Council's offices on Thursday, but this time dressed-to-the-nines (see
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8717542.Student_protesters_spruce_up_to_make_their_point/). If these are the kind of bigoted people we have in charge of our councils, then God help our country indeed!
adelayde
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
Maggie Thatcher
04.12.2010 10:42
Steve
Thatchers Children
04.12.2010 14:58
It sounds kinda scary, like the title of a horror movie "Thatchers Children"
Alfred Hitchcock
This coward should be kicked out on his arse!
05.12.2010 18:28
I was there; we are talking about a group of sixth-formers, who despite occupying the council offices, were generally respectful. Keith Mitchell was holed up in his office. Is Mr Mitchell scared of the students? Maybe he is. Maybe he is scared because he knows deep down that he is wrong and that their wrath is justified. But, honestly, why can the man not have the guts to come out and talk to a group of sixth formers, when they pay him the honour of popping by his office, rather than hiding away in his office?
What kind of a council leader is Mr Mitchell? Apparently, one that prefers to attack Oxford students through a cowardly and disrespectful post on his blog, than to meet them face-to-face to discuss the issues they are angry about. A leader who is an arrogant coward in essence. Presumably he's managed to get where he is today by his keen activity in freemasonry, rather than being a man of the people.
I wonder if Sally Dickets (principal and chief executive) Paul Miller (chairman) and the rest of the governors of Oxford and Cherwell Valley College feel that it is appropriate to have such a person as Mr Mitchell on their board of governors, when he clearly has scant respect for the very same students that colleges such as OCVC hope to educate, and will struggle to do so with the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), raising of University fees and public sector cuts in general? I call for them to throw him out on his ear!
The same ought to be being considered by Oxford Brookes University, who have our dear councillor on their University Court. What must they be thinking now? That they have such an obvious bigot, who thinks that their future intake are "noisy scruffy oiks"? Go on Brookes: Kick Mr Mitchell out into the cold winter. But don't worry, I'm sure his active freemasonry will find him another nice warm place to scurry off to.
This "keen supporter of country sports" who was "proud to be marching for Liberty and Livelihood on 22 September 2002", seems to have forgotten that not only landed gentry and the pro-hunt sect deserves liberty and livelihood, but also students, who hope for a better future, public sector workers, and those small furry animals he obviously so feels should be chased across our Green and Pleasant Land.
If people such as Cllr Mitchell are who we have in charge, then God help our country indeed!
adelayde