TEST Valley Borough Council's Conservatives have been told they face a major human rights battle if they insist on making all their Liberal Democrat opponents stand when their Mayor enters the Council Chamber.

In last week's stormy meeting, dominated by party politics, the ruling Conservatives brought forward the motion, which was clearly promptedby last year's incident in which Lib Dem Steve Cosier refused to stand when Mayor Peter Boulton entered the Council Chamber during the mayor making ceremony.

The sit-down protest had followed a planning meeting in which Councillor Boulton and other Conservatives had voted in favour of the Brendoncare nursing home, which was opposed by North Baddesley Lib Dems, including Cllr Cosier.

The motion said: "When the Mayor enters or leaves a meeting in his or her capacity as Mayor, all members present in the room and physically able to do so shall stand." Councillor Cosier immediately leapt to his feet and said: "I think it's a direct infringement of my human rights.

He then proceeded to outline the way in which such things as his freedom of expression, thought and conscience, the freedom of his right to hold opinions.

"In short, Mr Mayor, I believe I have the right to express my opinion," he said, later suggesting that it would be returning to feudalism.

His fellow Lib Dem Councillor, Mark Cooper, a school teacher for 31 years, recalled that early in his career he stopped - in his classrooms - an insistence that pupils should stand when teachers entered the room.

"I wanted them to pass their exams. I didn't need an artificial rule enforced on me to behave ourselves," he said, adding that his personal respect for Councillor Boulton had grown as the year had progressed.

Lib Dem group leader Robin Hughes revealed that he had asked the Borough's head of legal services, Susan Tovey, to check how many councils had a similar rule and that she had been unable to find one.

But she pointed out that in her opinion, such a rule would not be a breach of human rights. Councillor David Drew, chairman of the borough's overview and scrutiny panel, suggested there were people who "don't understand" the need to respect someone in authority.

The council's deputy leader, Martin Hatley, insisted it was not a matter of "bowing and scraping", but, as mayors were representatives of the Queen, he added: "Standing is a matter of showing respect for the Head of State and I don't see anything wrong with good manners."

Eventually, however, it was agreed that because it was a procedural issue, it should go first to the council's standards committee, then to its cabinet and before coming back to the council.

The two parties also fell out over the Lib Dems' attempt to getter a fairer share of mayors - just five have worn the chain in the past 30 years.

Lib Dem leader, Robin Hughes, proposed that a cross-party selection committee should be set up to establish clear criteria for choosing the mayor "to ensure that the mayor-choosing process remains consistently transparent and fair."

It was also pointed out that the five longest-serving councillors who had never been mayor were Lib Dems.

"It is clear for all to see," said Councillor Hughes, "that the selection of Test Valley's first citizen is made at the political meeting of the Conservative councillors. Such blatant party political behaviour is deeply damaging to the reputation of the office of mayor and it is an affront to the residents of Test Valley."

But council leader Ian Carr hit back: "I was stunned when I saw this motion. Last year, it was a demonstration against the mayoralty and not this year, they want the office. I will gave them 10 out of 10 for their brass neck."

Pointing out that the Lib Dems had not nominated a mayor between 1998 and last year, he added: "It is obvious to anyone that if this is the case then, of course, there will be a long succession of Conservative mayors. What to they expect us to do? Not have one while they make up their minds!"

And, in a clear reference to the stand taken by Councillor Cosier in 2005, he said: "If we get an apology and some indication of support for the mayoralty then sometime in the future, perhaps, I will reconsider and set up a working party to look at how the system could work differently."

The Lib-Dems' proposal was defeated by the Conservative majority. But it was clear that Councillor Cosier was continuing with his stand against standing. He left the Council Chamber before the Mayor and the top-table party went out of the room, with everyone else standing.