A West London councillor has been urged to withdraw what’s been labelled a ‘sexist and misogynistic’ comment made at a full council meeting on Thursday (February 27).
Conservative Councillor Martin Goddard, Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation at Hillingdon Council, referred to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves as ‘Rachel from accounts’, a nickname some consider to be offensive and sexist.
Critics of Rachel Reeves have used the nickname to mock the Chancellor. In January she responded: “I’ve probably been called worse things… in the end, people are going to judge me on the job that I’m doing now, that I’m doing as Chancellor of the Exchequer.”
Sital Punja, Labour councillor for Yiewsley, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she was ‘disappointed’ in Cllr Goddard, and has urged him to apologise and withdraw his comments. She claims the comment was a ‘deliberate and scripted misogynistic attack’. Cllr Goddard has not responded to requests for a response from the LDRS.
She said: “To disagree with someone’s political policy is one thing but calling her ‘Rachel from accounts’ has nothing to do with her policy and everything to do with demeaning and discrediting the Chancellor, playing on the stereotype of a ditzy junior female accounts assistant in a small company unable to understand the world of economics.
“It was a deliberate and scripted misogynistic attack on the Chancellor that men in high profile finance roles would not have to put up with. Cllr Goddard should immediately withdraw and apologise for his distasteful and unprofessional comments.”
This isn’t the first time a councillor has been called out for using the nickname to describe the Chancellor. In January, a Telford Councillor, Nigel Dugmore, said: “The Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Rachel Thieves, Rachel from accounts, call her what you will, callously stopped the payments just at the start of winter, giving pensioners little time to budget for the decision.”
This sparked fury among Labour councillors who said the comments were ‘disgusting’ and called on Cllr Dugmore to apologise. The LDRS understands that at least one Hillingdon resident has submitted a complaint against the councillor for his comments about Rachel Reeves.
Cllr Goddard made the comment whilst delivering a budget speech to council. On Wednesday (February 26), the LDRS revealed the financial pressures which have put Hillingdon Council ‘at risk’ of bankruptcy.
Cllr Goddard told the council that there are serious financial challenges ahead, however he is optimistic that reserves will increase due to saving measures taken by Hillingdon Council.
Philip is a Local Democracy Reporter covering Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow, with a focus on council decisions, housing, planning, licensing and community stories across west London.
