THE leader of West Oxfordshire District Council has emphasised its values of inclusivity and tolerance following a row over an LGBTIQ+ group.

James Mills defended a council committee’s decision to decline giving £5,000 a year to the support group after a Liberal Democrat councillor accused Labour and the Conservatives of voting against the LGBT community in West Oxfordshire.

Jake Acock, who launched the group himself with fellow Lib Dem councillor Andy Graham, had suggested that councillors were unwilling to offer anything more than ‘lip service’ to the community.

Labour and Conservatives insisted they did support the community but said the support group lacked the detail and structure required to receive taxpayers’ cash at this stage.

One Labour councillor who sits on the committee called Mr Acock’s language ‘inflammatory’.

His vocal criticism of rival parties marks the first significant row within the council since the local elections on May 3, which saw Mr Acock join the council for the first time.

Following last week’s meeting of the economic and social overview and scrutiny committee which made the decision, Mr Acock said: “They voted against around 6,600 people - according to [LGBT charity] Stonewall – who identify with the LGBTIQ+ community in West Oxfordshire. How is this fair? Do they not deserve a voice? Only the Liberal Democrats gave the LGBT community a voice in that meeting.”

Over the past year, Mr Acock's group has been trying to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in West Oxfordshire by holding drop-in sessions at civic halls around the district for people to get together socially and share advice and support.

He was seeking more funding largely to cover the cost of hiring venues.

Members of the Conservative and Labour Party defended their decision to vote down the request.

Leader Mr Mills said “The West Oxfordshire LGBTIQ group has not yet been established in a manner where it could receive grant funding from us. We are unable to consider grant funding until it has but are happy to help with this if they would like.

“The council will promote and facilitate LGBTIQ inclusion initiatives to encourage tolerance and strengthen the diverse community we serve.

“Everyone who lives in or visits West Oxfordshire needs to feel safe, valued and supported.”

Labour’s Laetisia Carter branded Mr Acock’s language ‘inflammatory’ while Andrew Coles, who is gay himself, said he found suggestions the council voted against the LGBT community ‘unlikely’.

Mr Coles, who seconded a Liberal Democrat motion relating to the group in a previous meeting, said that certain measures needed to be put in place before the group could be given taxpayers’ money.

The councillor, who does not sit on the committee but heard about what happened afterwards, added: “Just after I was first elected in 2012 I proposed a motion calling on the council to support the Witney Pride event planned for that year, which passed with enormous support.

“Also on June 17, 2016, the council, at my suggestion, raised and flew the rainbow flag at half-mast as a gesture of support and a symbol of solidarity following the Orlando nightclub shooting which killed 49 people.

“It was the worst act of mass murder against the LGBT community since the holocaust. James Mills, Andy Graham and myself were there to raise the flag as a cross-party gesture of support.”

LGBTIQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, intersex and 'queer' or 'questioning'.