11/12/2025
Yesterday was a very sad day for both local democracy and the rule of law in Kent, one that will disappoint and shock all decent law-abiding citizens.
Swale Green Party utterly condemns the verbal abuse, intimidation and assault displayed at last night’s Swale Borough Council meeting, disrupting the public debate and preventing the discussion of a motion to make Swale a Borough of Sanctuary.
Mr Hilden arrived, with megaphone in hand, showing that there was a clear intent to disrupt the meeting. He was accompanied by several individuals, including some wearing balaclavas, clearly not wanting to be identified or publicly named and shamed for what was about to happen next.
With minds already set against the motion, this group barely waited for Cllr Hannah Perkin to finish her opening statement before hurling spittle, slurs and foul abuse at the councillors, forcing an adjournment of the meeting.
Swale Green Party would like to extend our sympathy, along with our steadfast support and appreciation to the public representatives in all parties who were subject to such shameful abuse in the course of carrying out their responsibilities as our elected councillors.
We must be clear that this shocking behaviour is not democracy in action. It is intimidation designed to erode trust in decision-making in the public realm. It will cause decision-makers to abandon ambition for the community and instead pander to an aggressive minority. We urge all public representatives to stay the course. Our public life will be significantly poorer if our representatives are unable to safely explore ideas proposed for the good of the community.
Swale Green Party and our councillors support Swale in any aim or project which helps create a welcoming and inclusive community, where everyone is enabled to contribute, and we applaud and praise Hannah Perkin’s proposal of this motion and Alastair Gould as seconder. Be assured that the silent majority of all decent and law-abiding Swale citizens stand with you both.
We must never tolerate violence, assault, and intimidation by observers of any public debate, and we should work together with the Police and all other elected officials to call out and hold fully accountable all those who try to subvert such democratic processes.
As a strong and united signal that local democracy is still alive and well in Kent, at their next meeting the Swale councillors should issue a cross-party public statement that clearly and unequivocally condemns the actions of that small minority disrupting the meeting yesterday.
