Bernice McLoughlin, a councillor in North Wales, has been seen in footage apparently falling asleep during a council meeting – but she insists she was just resting her eyes
A North Wales councillor, who was accused of nodding off during a council meeting, has defended herself, insisting she merely closed her eyes to “rest them”.
Towyn’s Councillor Bernice McLoughlin was caught on camera closing her eyes and tilting her head back during a Conwy County Council education and skills overview and scrutiny committee meeting last week. The footage from the meeting in Coed Pella, Colwyn Bay, was shared on an anonymous social media account.
Cllr McLoughlin, who attended the meeting remotely, branded the act of posting the footage anonymously as “cowardly”. The committee was discussing the potential closure of Ysbyty Ifan at the time.
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Around 45 minutes into the debate, Cllr McLoughlin is seen with her eyes closed for several minutes, her head resting on her hand. At one point, she was captured with her eyes closed, mouth open and head lolled backwards in her armchair.
During various points in the meeting, she appears to jolt awake. The Towyn councillor, who is awaiting cataract surgery, explained that she was simply resting her eyes at home while watching the hybrid meeting.
She also wears glasses and said her eyes were strained from switching between viewing the meeting on her iPad and reading the minutes on her laptop. She said: “I admit that in council meetings, I will sit back and close my eyes, just to rest them.
“It doesn’t mean I’m not present mentally in the meeting, and whoever has put it on social media anonymously is cowardly, and I’m surprised at how little traction it got.”, reports North Wales Live.
She expressed her astonishment, saying: “I’m surprised by the amount of support I have had from constituents and other councillors, some of which I expected and some I didn’t.”
Cllr McLoughlin doesn’t sit on the education and skills committee, and her attendance at the meeting wasn’t compulsory. The council has since spoken to her about its rules for joining meetings virtually.
A council spokesman said: ‘‘We have reminded the councillor of the need for all members to abide by the council’s multi-location meetings policy and associated protocols when joining committees remotely.”
Cllr McLoughlin became a councillor with Conwy Council in May 2022.