Tory cllr called a ‘dickhead’ in sexism row

A Conservative councillor has been labelled a “dickhead” by the former leader of the Greens in Bristol after he triggered a sexism row for calling the female leader of a committee the “chairman”.

Richard Eddy, who represents Bishopsworth, refused to call Ani Stafford-Townsend, who was chairing a council meeting, a “chair” and said the appropriate term was chairman – irrespective of gender.

But his remarks to the leader of the Green Party group at a planning meeting on Wednesday have seen him accused of “everyday sexism”. The row boiled over to Twitter where previous leader Rob Telford called Eddy a “dickhead” and suggested he should be kicked off the committee.

Stafford-Townsend was listed as the “chair” of the meeting on council documents. She told Bristol24/7 it was council policy to address people chairing meetings in that way. But the Local Government Act 1972 only makes reference to “chairmen”. The Good Councillor’s Guide also only uses the term “chairman”.

Eddy defended his stance after the meeting, saying he didn’t want to change a term he has been using for 24 years at the council just to be “politically correct”.

He told Bristol24/7: “I appreciate it is considered a little bit old fashioned, but since I have been at this council I have always used ‘chairman’ or ‘madam chairman’. I only call things chairs when they are pieces of furniture. I respect Ani far too much for that.”

He said that claims he was being sexist were “ridiculous”. “In my years at the council I personally have found some of the most effective chairmen have been female and they have been superb chairmen.”

Stafford-Townsend said she was disappointed Eddy had insisted on calling her chairman despite repeated requests at the meeting for him to call her chair.

She said: “I find it more misogynistic than sexist. He’s doing his best to be demeaning and shows no respect to gender equality.” She has now lodged a formal complaint to the local Conservative Party.

Responding to Telford’s remarks, Eddy said: “He can call me whatever he likes. I prefer to talk to people in a more respectful way and that is the way of the Conservative Party.”

Telford told Bristol 24/7: “I apologise unreservedly for the rude comment about councillor Eddy. I should not have let my hatred of sexism cloud my judgment. I am confident that not all of the Conservative group share councillor Eddy’s sexist attitudes, so it will be good to hear a clarification from them in the coming days.”

Mark Weston, leader of the Conservative Party in Bristol, said he will consider any formal complaint when it is received. “This has been blown out of proportion and is a storm in a teacup,” he said.

Former Green Party assistant mayor Gus Hoyt resigned last year after he told a member of public to “fuck off” in a private text message which was later made public.

Eddy resigned as deputy leader of his party group in Bristol in 2001 in a row about a golliwog he kept as an office mascot.