Emotions ran high at a fiery meeting of Norfolk County Council as the leader was accused of "running scared" from a debate on controversial plans to make cuts to disability services.
The Conservative-run council, which needs to make £42m savings this year to balance the books, has faced significant backlash over proposals to reduce the minimum income guarantee (MIG) for disabled people.
The issue has heightened tensions between political groups at County Hall and a meeting of the authority descended into tempestuous scenes this week with councillors shouting and finger-pointing as Kay Mason Billig, the leader, was accused of "shutting down debate" on the proposals.
Mrs Mason Billig came under fire after requesting the council skip over discussions about a motion brought by the Labour group, which urged members to consider different options for making savings and to delay a decision on the MIG proposals before seeking further legal advice.
Brenda Jones, a Labour councillor, said: "I am shocked, appalled and horrified that you would do this.
"This is such an emotive issue - how dare you treat disabled people in this way and how dare you shut down this debate. What are you frightened of?"
WHAT ARE THE PROPOSALS?
The proposals, to reduce the minimum income guarantee (MIG), are part of the council's bid to make huge savings over the coming year.
The MIG is an amount of their income disabled people can keep for everyday expenses after the cost of council-arranged home care is taken into account.
The county council wants to lower it from £187 a week to £171.25 a week, in line with neighbouring counties, which would mean disabled people aged 18 to 64 would pay more for their care.
When the council proposed a similar reduction in 2019 it triggered a High Court challenge.
The council lost, with a judge saying the authority's actions were discriminatory.
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WHY ARE COUNCILLORS ANGRY?
Tensions came to a head at the meeting of the authority this week during a motion brought by Labour councillor Brenda Jones, who urged members to reconsider the proposals.
She said: "This council is a huge and powerful organisation that is choosing to pick on the most vulnerable people in Norfolk, because it thinks they won't fight back - but they will and we will lose.
"The whole process has been fundamentally flawed and we are going to be dragged through the ethical and financial gutter if this goes ahead. We need to find a more humane way to balance the books."
While members expected to have an opportunity to discuss the plans, Mrs Mason Billig asked that the motion be taken straight to a vote.
She argued that the meeting was not the correct forum for debate and said it would be an "abuse of the process" to allow members to speak on the proposals as they are already due to be considered at a meeting of the council's cabinet next month.
She added: "It seems that someone has been ferreting about and looking for ways to subvert and undermine the works of this council.
"It looks like you are using this incredibly sensitive issue as a political weapon and causing more angst for some very vulnerable people."
Discussions became increasingly heated as councillors shouted at Mrs Mason Billig and accused her of "running scared" from a debate.
Ms Jones said: "I am shocked, appalled and horrified that you would do this.
"This is such an emotive issue - how dare you treat disabled people in this way and how dare you shut down this debate. What are you frightened of?"
The council ultimately voted against the motion.
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