Councillor erupts in meeting over Trump loss

A councillor was told to apologise after he burst into a cheer over the electoral defeat of Donald Trump during an unrelated Herefordshire Council meeting.

Penyard councillor William Wilding told the general scrutiny committee that to not consider the impact of climate change when discussing the future of transport in Hereford would be something the US president would do.

He cheered in celebration after saying he heard Mr Trump was “out of a job.”

The committee was considering the review into the proposed Hereford bypass and southern link road.

“The younger people, the younger generation that are going to be watching this, are going to blame us if we don’t do something about it now,” coun Wilding said.

“We’ve spent years talking about it. I understand that in the past maybe climate emergency wasn’t recognised in the way it is now.

“I can’t understand how we can go on about looking at the core strategy which was formulated some years ago before we realised how desperately important it is that the world changes direction.

“To carry on going on about how we said five years ago that we should do it this way is just nonsense.

“It’s the sort of thing that President Trump says. And I hear he is out of a job!”

Councillor Jonathan Lester reminded councillor Wilding that outbursts like his were not acceptable.

Coun Wilding apologised.