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Councillor ‘asked women to stand up and be ogled’ at awards ceremony

Fun VLOG September 23, 2021
Councillor ?asked women to stand up and be ogled? SWNS
Tory Leigh Higgins has been suspended (Picture: SWNS)

A council leader has been suspended amid sexism claims after asking women at a glitzy awards ceremony to stand up and announcing: ‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen a sight like that.’

Tory Leigh Higgins — making a speech about the impact of the pandemic before presenting a prize — was branded a ‘sexist, chauvinistic tool’.

Debbie Longley, collecting a prize on a friend’s behalf, posted later: ‘Lovely evening at Best of Melton Awards.

‘However, if you want confirmation that some people still live in the Dark Ages, Cllr Leigh Higgins just asked all the ladies to stand up so we could be seen as it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to “enjoy” those kinds of sights!

‘Needless to say I didn’t stand up. It’s a business and community event you absolute sexist, chauvinistic tool. Plus, I am not there to be ogled by anyone!’

Another wrote: ‘I was absolutely gobsmacked. What an awful speech. Shame, as it was such a lovely evening.’

Conservative candidate Leigh Higgins at an election count in Chesterfield. The deputy leader of Melton Borough Council has been forced to step down from his role after allegedly telling an audience he wanted all the women to stand up so he could look at them. See SWNS story swMDcouncillor. The comment was reportedly made in the closing moments of the Best of Melton Awards event on Friday evening, as then Tory councillor Leigh Higgins, who had been presenting the final award of the night, was talking about the effects of the pandemic and how he had missed events. Debbie Longley, who was at the event at Brooskby Hall, Melton, to pick up an award on behalf of a friend who could not make it, said she was outraged when Coun Higgins then asked the women in the room to stand up so he could see and praise them on their attire. She later called him a
Tory councillor Leigh Higgins had been presenting the final award of the night (Picture: SWNS)
Tory Leigh Higgins — making a speech about the impact of the pandemic before presenting a prize — was branded a ‘sexist, chauvinistic tool’.
The councillor has since been suspended (Picture: Facebook)

One said: ‘I assumed he was going to ask the men to stand up after the women, which would still have been strange, but no! I couldn’t believe it!’

And another added: ‘What he said was so surreal that we wondered if we’d got the wrong end of the stick!’

Council leader Joe Orson later confirmed: ‘Cllr Higgins has been suspended from the Conservative group for 21 days pending an investigation.’

Councillor Leigh Higgins, deputy leader of Melton Borough Council. The deputy leader of Melton Borough Council has been forced to step down from his role after allegedly telling an audience he wanted all the women to stand up so he could look at them. See SWNS story swMDcouncillor. The comment was reportedly made in the closing moments of the Best of Melton Awards event on Friday evening, as then Tory councillor Leigh Higgins, who had been presenting the final award of the night, was talking about the effects of the pandemic and how he had missed events. Debbie Longley, who was at the event at Brooskby Hall, Melton, to pick up an award on behalf of a friend who could not make it, said she was outraged when Coun Higgins then asked the women in the room to stand up so he could see and praise them on their attire. She later called him a
He has been forced to step down from his role (Picture: SWNS)

A spokeswoman for Melton council, in Leicestershire, said it was unable to comment.

Cllr Higgins, deputy leader of the council and its portfolio holder for growth and prosperity, could not be contacted for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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