Councillor: Labour whistleblowers have been ‘cleansed by party’
COUNCILLORS and MPs across the political spectrum reacted to the news that the government will intervene in the affairs of Sandwell council after years of trouble and scandal.
The three Conservative MPs in Sandwell – Nicola Richards, James Morris, and Shaun Bailey – released a joint statement saying: “The poor decisions and mismanagement at this local authority that have accumulated over decades has undoubtedly affected the lives of the most vulnerable in Sandwell.
“Many of the issues we see in Sandwell today could have been fixed if more effort had been put into improving the lives of residents, rather than serving personal and political interests.
“We hope that this next step finally leads to trust in our local authority, as well as much better services and value for money for local taxpayers.”
Ian Jones, a former Labour councillor, said: “I think Keir Starmer has his finger on the pulse here in Sandwell. Trouble is, it’s terminal.
“The issue at the moment and the last few years is that the whistleblowers have been cleansed by the party – including myself.”
But suspicions have been raised by other local Labour councillors and MPs who believe the intervention was accelerated as part of Boris Johnson’s ‘Operation Red Meat’ – a plan by the Prime Minister and his advisors to win back support from disaffected MPs, voters and Conservative Party campaigners.
John Spellar MP, who represents Warley, said: “It makes no sense.
“The government’s own report showed that Sandwell was making progress, and indeed has gone further since then.
“Frankly, it seems politically motivated, partly as a smokescreen for a Prime Minister in trouble.”
But former councillors who were elected in Sandwell questioned the current Labour leader’s judgment.
In April last year, Sir Keir Starmer said it was clear the party was succeeding in “making changes” to the authority’s ruling Labour group, which has been dogged by allegations of corruption and misconduct since the 2016 publication of the Wragge report.
And this month, the leader said that change “must be accepted” at Sandwell Council to move forward.
Mark Smith, a former Liberal Democrat councillor, said: “There have been problems with factions in the Labour party here in Sandwell for years.
“No one seems to be sorting it. Starmer should have been in and knocked heads together and get them to sort it out.”