THEY’RE used to having wars of words in the council chamber, but fisticuffs? Surely not?

But that’s exactly what happened when two councillors fell out over who should be nominated as the next mayor of Oxford.

The historic council chamber at Oxford Town Hall was the unlikely setting for an unseemly scrap, with one councillor landing a punch and another having to be restrained from hitting back.

The incident happened in July 1941 at the end of a meeting of the general purposes committee, which had met in private to discuss nominations for mayor.

According to our sister paper, The Oxford Times, the mayor, Arthur Skipper, who had chaired the committee meeting, briefly left the chamber, then returned to preside at a meeting of the full city council “when it was noticed that a scuffle was going on in the vicinity of the Labour group members’ seats.

“It is understood that Councillor S Smith and Councillor Roberts had a difference of opinion, as a result of which the former, who is chairman of the Labour group, struck Councillor Roberts on the jaw.

“Councillor Roberts made to retaliate, but his arms were pinioned by Councillors S Jennings and Smewin and eventually he was persuaded to sit down.”

The warring councillors left the chamber, but returned soon afterwards to take part in the meeting.

Afterwards, Councillor Roberts explained that he had criticised the Labour group at the general purposes committee for dropping Councillor Smewin as a nominee for the mayoralty.

He said: “I was standing talking after the meeting when I was suddenly struck on the jaw. I did not know where the blow came from, but then I saw it was Councillor Smith who had hit me.”

Councillor Smith said Councillor Roberts had made certain remarks which he strongly resented and it was then that he struck him.

“I know now it was a thing I should not have done,” he said.

There is no record of whether any action was taken against Councillor Smith. Councillor Maud Amy Margaret White was elected mayor for 1942/3. Councillor Edgar Smewin had to wait until 1946-7 for his turn as First Citizen.