Yahoo News Liberal Democrats councillor made 'male appendage' joke at Labour rival called John Thomas
A Liberal Democrats councillor who made a "male appendage" joke at a Labour rival called John Thomas has been found to have breached standards.
Councillor Nigel Porter made the jibe during a Leicester City Council meeting in October last year.
He was debating with City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby about a development in his ward of Aylestone when he was heckled by Mr Thomas.
I won't take any lectures from a man named after a male appendage
Councillor Nigel Porter
Video footage from the council's webcast shows the moment Cllr Porter immediately retorted: "I won't take any lectures from a man named after a male appendage."
John Thomas is a slang description of a penis derived from DH Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover.
Lord Mayor Steven Corrall, who chaired the meeting, asked the councillor to retract the comment but he refused.
Cllr Porter was reported to Leicester City Council's standards hearing sub-committee after the exchange.
The committee decided the councillor had breached the rules after a meeting on Monday night.
At the standards hearing on Monday night, Cllr Porter insisted the words he had used were not offensive.
He also complained that another colleague had directed a mental health slur at him by suggesting he needed to seek psychological assistance at the same October meeting.
He added: "It's called innuendo. It's a joke.The council and this committee seem determined to pursue a vindictive complaint.
"If Cllr Thomas was offended he must have a very, very, thin skin. He is only upset because he lost face."
A future standards committee will now decide what sanctions to enforce on Cllr Porter.
