Wigan councillors share their experiences of domestic abuse during town hall meeting

As councillors gathered in the chamber, many were seen wearing white ribbons.

Coun Paula Wakefield, lead member for equalities and domestic abuse, asked colleagues to do so to raise awareness of domestic abuse.

Coun Steve Jones, said he had been on "both sides of it”.

“I will address the elephant in the room,” he said. “In the past, councillors have referred to remarks towards myself. I speak as being on both sides it – it is wrong. When you’re a councillor, you see the headline and you don’t know the full story.”

Coun Jones was referring to a court case in September in which he admitted to causing actual bodily harm to his wife.

The hearing was told she needed stitches after the local politician threw a bag of rubbish, which contained a glass jar. He was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, attend a 31-day Building Better Relationships programme and pay his wife £500 compensation.

Coun Shelley Guest said: “I am one of the statistics. I wish there was this kind of support 20 years ago. I had 15 fab years with my partner, yet I still break down and I still blame myself. I know all violence in relationships is wrong.

“It is the women that suffer the worst violence.”

Coun Mary Callaghan added: “It is not acceptable and it never will be acceptable. What I went through was quite violent and no-one knows about it in this chamber.

“We need to stand up and speak about it because it will never stop if we don’t.”

A motion promoting domestic abuse awareness was unanimously passed.

In other business, Coun Paul Kenny urged the council to back a motion urging the Government to tackle the NHS dentist crisis, quoting research claiming that in 2015, 57 per cent of adults were seen by a dentist, compared to 43 per cent in 2022.

He said: “The Government must put NHS dentistry on a secure long-term footing, but in a way that enables our constituents to see a dentist in a reasonable time frame, straight away if necessary, and rewards our dental professionals in a manner that ensures they remain within the NHS family.

“To date, the Government have been missing in action, dentists have been voting with their feet and patients in Wigan have been paying with their teeth. We need NHS dentistry fit for the modern world. Let us get on with it and do it now.”

That motion was passed unanimously.

Coun Jenny Bullen, portfolio holder for children and families, asked colleagues to support trading standards in its crackdown on vape sales to children.

“An analysis of vapes used in schools showed children using them could be inhaling more than twice the daily safe amount of lead, and nine times the safe amount of nickel,” she said.

“Brightly-coloured disposable vapes, which are available in a variety of flavours, are the most popular product among teens and most are bought from corner shops.

“Teachers and parents have expressed concerns about the increased availability of the products and the fact that some pupils say they have become addicted to nicotine through vaping.”

The motion was unanimously voted through.