Sheffield’s deputy mayor tells of threat to burn down her house
Sheffield City Council members have called for a change in approach as “toxicity and abuse” in public and political discourse have resulted in intimidation and death threats.
A motion debated at a full council meeting yesterday (July 17) in Sheffield has revealed that councillors have experienced abuse while in office – some have decided to speak up and tell the chamber about the harrowing reality of being a councillor in this day and age.
Perhaps the most passionate speech came from the new deputy lord mayor, Cllr Safiya Saeed.
She told members (and the audience) that she had brought up her five children as a single mum and taught them essential life lessons, such as not staring at people, saying thank you, the importance of doing homework and so on.
Cllr Saeed said she always taught them to be polite but when she decided to stand to be a councillor “my children didn’t sign up for this”.
She said: “At these elections, I’d been questioned by my faith, been called names.
“We fled war so we could come to a country and feel safe. This city didn’t make me feel safe.”
Cllr Saeed said there was no excuse for anyone to text her insults and highlighted one occasion when she was sent a message by someone calling her a wh***.
She continued: “…or to call me a s**g or [telling me] I should get my house burnt down.”
Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed, from the Liberal Democrats, said members could support motions and sign up to anything but he wanted to see actions instead.
He said the discussion has become “nasty, personal” in the 20 years he has been a councillor.
Cllr Mohammed added: “I tell you who haven’t signed up for this – the families of the individuals who are sat in this chamber.”
He also called out one of the council members who he said had filmed him outside a polling station.
He said: “You can film me now, I’m looking at you. I don’t think it was a proud moment.”
Cllr Terry Fox, the former leader of the council, said he has had to attend a lot of meetings and events since he has been a councillor and he and his colleagues have also received threats.
He added he personally asked for risk assessment and health and safety measures to be carried out.
“Words matter,” he said.
Cllr Fox said councillors were the people’s voice in the chamber and he knew that as a decision maker, he (and the new councillors) would get to a point where they would upset someone or some communities.
He said: “But you have to stand tall and you have to be upfront and honest with them.”