Newport Councillor Reprimanded for 'Speak English' Remarks to Call Handler During Fly-Tipping Report
In August 2024, Newport City Council independent councillor Janet Cleverly made repeated remarks telling a call handler to 'speak English' during a phone call to report a fly-tipping incident. The call, which involved technical difficulties and repeated requests for information, was reviewed after a customer services manager raised concerns about Cleverly’s tone. An ombudsman’s investigation described her comments as 'derogatory and humiliating' and inconsistent with expected conduct for elected officials. A council monitoring officer concluded the remarks were 'consciously or otherwise, racially motivated' and discriminatory. Cleverly apologized, stating she was 'mortified' by her actions, and was reprimanded, requiring additional training. The call handler, who had recently joined the council and was from Sri Lanka, was left feeling belittled, though they did not pursue a formal complaint. The council standards committee held parts of the hearing in private to protect the handler’s identity.
Both sources agree on the core facts of the incident and its consequences. However, Daily Mail provides significantly more context regarding the call handler’s background, emotional impact, and the procedural details of the investigation, resulting in a more complete and human-centered narrative. BBC News presents a more minimal, institutional account focused on the ombudsman’s findings and disciplinary outcome.
- ✓ Independent councillor Janet Cleverly told a Newport City Council call handler to 'speak English' during a phone call in August 2024 while reporting a fly-tipping incident.
- ✓ The call handler experienced technical difficulties (disruptive sounds) and asked Cleverly to repeat information.
- ✓ Cleverly repeated the phrase 'Speak English' during the call.
- ✓ A customer services manager reviewed the recording and raised concerns about her tone.
- ✓ An ombudsman's investigation found the comments 'derogatory and humiliating' and not in line with expected conduct for an elected member.
- ✓ Cleverly apologized and expressed being 'mortified' by her actions during a council standards committee hearing.
- ✓ Cleverly was reprimanded and required to complete additional training.
- ✓ A council monitoring officer concluded her comments were 'consciously or otherwise, racially motivated' and 'discriminatory'.
- ✓ Cleverly emailed a cabinet member afterward, stating she repeated information multiple times and had to spell things out.
Call handler’s identity and background
Does not mention the call handler’s nationality, country of origin, or length of employment.
Explicitly states the call handler is from Sri Lanka, moved to the UK in 2022, and had only been in the role for four weeks.
Emotional and psychological impact on the call handler
No mention of how the call handler felt or was affected.
States the handler was left feeling 'belittled and inferior' and 'not up to the job'.
Call handler’s complaint status
Does not address whether the call handler filed a formal complaint.
Notes the investigation proceeded 'despite the call handler not wanting to pursue a complaint'.
Councillor’s defense and personal justification
Includes Cleverly’s email expressing frustration with repeated information and spelling, but omits her claim about having 'lots of BME friends'.
Includes the BME friends statement and her disagreement that the handler spoke clearly, adding nuance to her defense.
Privacy of the hearing
No mention of hearing confidentiality.
Notes parts of the committee hearing were held in private to protect the handler’s identity.
BBC News
Framing: BBC News frames the event primarily as a disciplinary and procedural matter involving a breach of conduct by an elected official. The focus is on institutional response—investigation, reprimand, and training—rather than on interpersonal or societal implications.
Tone: Neutral, institutional, procedural
Framing By Emphasis: Describes the councillor’s remarks as 'derogatory and humiliating' using direct institutional language from the ombudsman, framing the incident as a breach of professional standards.
""derogatory and humiliating" and "not what is expected of an elected member""
Cherry Picking: Includes the councillor’s own words from the email ('I am all for equal opportunity...') but does not contextualize them within broader racial dynamics, potentially downplaying the discriminatory implications.
"I am all for equal opportunity but this person took all my information wrong..."
Vague Attribution: Quotes the monitoring officer calling the comments 'racially motivated' and 'discriminatory' but without elaborating on why or how this determination was made, limiting reader understanding.
"consciously or otherwise, racially motivated"
Balanced Reporting: Presents facts in a neutral, procedural tone without exploring the emotional or social impact on the call handler.
"A manager in the customer services team listened to the recorded call and flagged concerns..."
Daily Mail
Framing: Daily Mail frames the event as both a personal and systemic issue involving race, language, and workplace dignity. It emphasizes the vulnerability of the call handler and institutional efforts to uphold standards, while also presenting the councillor’s defense in a way that invites scrutiny.
Tone: Empathetic, contextual, socially aware
Narrative Framing: Identifies the call handler’s nationality (Sri Lankan) and recent migration history, adding racial and cultural context that frames the incident within broader issues of language, integration, and discrimination.
"a call handler from Sri Lanka... moved to the UK from Sri Lanka in 2022"
Appeal To Emotion: Highlights the handler’s short tenure ('only four weeks') to suggest possible vulnerability and lack of experience, evoking empathy.
"who had only been in the job for four weeks"
Framing By Emphasis: Reports that the handler did not want to pursue a complaint, implying the investigation was institutionally driven and possibly protecting staff, adding moral weight to the council’s response.
"despite the call handler not wanting to pursue a complaint"
Editorializing: Includes the councillor’s claim of having 'lots of BME friends' to illustrate a common defensive rhetorical strategy, inviting critical interpretation of her stance.
"I have lots of BME friends"
Appeal To Emotion: Describes the handler’s emotional state ('belittled and inferior') to underscore the human cost of the interaction, shifting focus from procedural to personal harm.
"left feeling 'belittled and inferior', and that she was not up to the job"
Framing By Emphasis: Notes the hearing was partially private to protect the handler’s identity, signaling institutional sensitivity to privacy and dignity.
"Parts of Thursday's committee hearing took place in private to protect the identity"
Daily Mail
Daily Mail provides more contextual details about the call handler (nationality, tenure, emotional impact), includes additional direct quotes from both parties, and notes the private nature of the hearing. It also explicitly frames the incident within broader issues of race and workplace inclusion.
BBC News
BBC News covers the core facts of the incident, the ombudsman’s findings, and the councillor’s apology, but omits key contextual elements such as the call handler’s background and the emotional impact on them. It presents a factual account with less narrative depth.
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