Welcome to our new occasional column – where IW Observer writers will share their views.

It’s confession time. Last week, I dared to criticise our esteemed council. Yes, I know – scandalous. I assumed you would all bang your teacups down in outrage and rush to your keyboards, but curiously, not a single email of indignation arrived.

Some of us believe that charitable acts should be done privately – without public fanfare. Even the Bible advises, “When thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee.”

Here’s my crime; I mentioned that during a discussion on Council Tax support, Cllr Chris Jarman found a way to slip into the debate that he’s heroically housed five Ukrainian families. Relevant? No. Generous? Yes. Humble? Perhaps not.

Cllr Clare Mosdell made up for the deplorable inaction from IW Observer readers. She called out my remarks as “disgusting”. They had crossed the line into “personal spitefulness.” Cllr Jarman was due an apology she thundered.

Cllr Jarman upped the stakes, claiming my remarks were not just “disrespectful” but could be construed as a “racist slight.” Racist? Criticising one person who happens to have housed Ukrainians has somehow become a commentary on race. No – I don’t follow his reasoning either.

Yet even worse than being a racist, my “impudent and disparaging comments challenged the competence of the council as a whole”. Some might say the assumption their competence was never in doubt put him on shaky ground. But nevertheless, an apology was due to every member Cllr Jarman decreed.

However, in a move of breath-taking communications brilliance – the outraged pair didn’t send their accusations of racism, or demands for an apology to the IW Observer. No, they circulated it privately among councillors. Some of their brighter colleagues spotted their strategic flaw and kindly forwarded it to me. Naturally, I extended an olive branch and pointed out that the IW Observer has a much wider readership, so in the interests of balance I offered the incensed duo the opportunity to comment for this article. I also pointed out that the IW Observer is regulated should they wish to complain. Their response? Silence.

An eerily-quiet Cllr Mosdell even ignored my invitation to confirm she’s never, ever uttered any spiteful comments or been disrespectful in council meetings. Spoiler alert – she can’t. And, despite being holier-than-thou, she’s clearly not familiar with the Gospel of Matthew. As well as the quote above (Matthew 6:2), she had overlooked Matthew 7:5 – the one about beams and motes in eyes.

Readers, I admit it. I am guilty of not blindly worshipping our council or our councillors. While I recognise they have a difficult role and many work hard, it’s not illegal (yet) to point out their shortcomings. People with different opinions exist. Critics exist. Free speech exists. So, while I respect that some people will disagree with me – there will be no apologies.

To my pleasant surprise, many councillors supported what I said, some mentioned how very weary they are of Cllr Jarman’s Good Samaritan updates – one even sent over one of his recent Facebook posts as a case in point. Cllr Jarman had put a sticker slap bang in the middle of his forehead saying “Be nice to me – I gave blood today” and bragged he had been doing it for 48 years. If only self-promotion were an Olympic sport…

Perhaps Cllr Geoff Brodie put it best. He advised his colleagues to grow a thicker skin. He added: “I was one of the councillors you fixed your sights on in your article, but I am entirely relaxed if I am criticised….”. He is famously not religious – so he will probably not even notice this very slight misquote from Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the unbothered, for they shall inherit the moral high ground.”

Finally, and on a serious note because we should end with one, tossing around accusations like racism simply because you’ve been criticised isn’t just childish – it’s downright dangerous. Councillors are elected to serve Islanders, scrutinise, and defend the public interest, not to use the council chamber to parade their good deeds – or smear those who might criticise them for doing so.

Here’s some advice for Cllr Jarman. Take a leaf out of Cllr Brodie’s book. Learn to take criticism like your more mature colleagues. And perhaps – stop polishing the trumpet.

Readers – you have Cllrs Jarman and Mosdell to thank for inspiring this new occasional column, in which the IW Observer team will say exactly what they think.