A sharp exchange took place at Glastonbury Town Council as Councillor Jon Cousins (Green) criticised three Conservative councillors for repeatedly abstaining from votes.

Cllrs Lili Osbourne, Rik Cooke, and Terry Napper declined to vote on another decision at the latest meeting, prompting frustration from Cllr Cousins.

"We are not elected here to avoid making decisions," he said. "Our role is to represent the people of Glastonbury, and to abstain constantly is a travesty of why we are here."

Cllr Napper pushed back, saying, "There are three choices—you can vote for, against, or abstain. If we're pushed, I will vote against, but at the moment, I choose to abstain."

Cllr Cousins, unimpressed, responded with, "I would like to thank a member of the abstinent society for their explanation."

The three councillors have abstained from multiple votes in recent meetings. The disagreement was brief, and the meeting moved on to other business, including a discussion on the neighbourhood plan screening document, which will now be submitted to Somerset Council for review.