Committee accuses council of 'silencing women'

A council's women and girls committee has accused Reform-led council leaders of "silencing women" after a decision was made for it to hold its meetings in private.

This means the public can no longer attend the group's Gateshead Council meetings.

Council leader Nick Allan said the decision was recommended by council officers, not by the ruling party, after accusations some committee members and members of the public "got out of hand" at a meeting.

Councillor Dawn Welsh, Lib Dem, said: "We have to ask ourselves why Reform wants to conduct this vital public business behind closed doors - what do they think residents shouldn't be allowed to see?" The council has been approached for comment.

Nick Allan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that officers had recommended the meetings be held in private.

"The chief legal officer has written to Fiona Pearce [deputy leader of the council and vice-chair of the committee] to say that, on reflection, it might have been too hasty and the decision may be reviewed, which we would be completely fine with," he said.

Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors challenged the decision and requested the meetings continued to be held in public until it could be proved there was a legal basis to making them private - but the request was refused.

Welsh said: "The misogynistic implications of that decision are impossible to ignore.

"A man deciding that a committee dedicated to women's voices should meet behind closed doors, without public scrutiny, is a deeply troubling message to send.

"We refuse to be silenced behind closed doors."

The committee was founded following a full council decision on 20 February 2025, as a formal advisory committee to tackle gender inequality and issues faced by women and girls in the area.

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