A FULL council meeting turned into a farce after Labour councillors marched out midway through, in protest of the 'self-congratulatory' Tories.
Members of the challenging party boycotted the meeting before hearing motions, which had all been tabled by Conservative members and served to heap praise on the party's work in the borough.
The motions were all in response to a letter from Councillor Janet Gardner (Labour, Botwell) published in the Gazette.
In it, she said that taxpayers' money is being spent on new libraries and leisure centres when there was a critical housing shortage.
In a statement handed to the Gazette reporter as councillors filed out of the council chambers, the Labour Group said that the "statements masquerading as motions" were not worthy of debate, adding that they showed a "contempt for the democratic process", and that motions should lead to action rather than be used to "pat themselves on the back."
Councillor Peter Curling, Leader of the Labour Group, led the exodus from what was an otherwise uneventful meeting, to the jeers of Conservative councillors.
The meeting continued, and Cabinet member Councillor Douglas Mills said: "They [The Labour group] begrudge what we have achieved, and our investment in youth and leisure centres, and parks. They have gone because if they had supported our motion, they would be supporting what we have done.
"The Hillingdon Labour group don't put residents first. That is the significant divider, and it is a disgrace that they are not here to defend themselves."
The first motion praised council staff for delivering primary school places within a tight timeframe, and reaffirmed a commitment to completing the Lake Farm school building project.
The second noted that Hillingdon were investing in leisure centres, youth centres, libraries and parks, when other local authorities were making cuts in these areas, and residents were happy with them.
The third stated that housing targets had been exceeded last year.
A full council meeting is convened every two months, and all councillors are required to attend.
They give councillors the chance to debate policy and budgets, make key decisions of borough-wide importance, ask cabinet members questions, and forward motions.
A motion is a request for an issue to be discussed, and for a decision to be made on it.
They have to first be 'moved' by a councillor, then seconded, and finally voted on by all members.
The majority Conservative administration has 46 members, and Labour has 19 who predominantly represent wards in the south of the borough.
