STEP IN NOW
Fellows urges Corbyn to force Logue to move aside
Wishaw MP Marion Fellows has written to Jeremy Corbyn to demand that he intervenes to make council leader Jim Logue step aside while allegations of corruption are investigated.
The call comes days after Labour and Conservative councillors i n Nor th Lanarkshire Council voted together to oppose a SNP motion calling for Councillor Logue to temporarily remove himself as leader (right) while enquiries are carried out.
Mrs Fellows said: “Jeremy Corbyn has said he will bring in a new kind of politics. Now is his opportunity to prove it to the people of North Lanarkshire. He must intervene to make Jim Logue step down.
“By cosying up with the Tories, Labour have shown that their main aims are holding onto power at any cost.
“They have even appointed the leader of the Tory group as the chair of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee which calls into question the integrity and fairness of the council.
“Nothing has been proven yet, but in the interests of justice and transparency, Jim Logue must step aside and the reports must be released.
“By not doing so, the council’s name is being dragged through mud and it’s all happening under Corbyn’s watch. Corbyn’s silence would be equal to an endorsement.
“While he allows this to continue, the SNP will oppose any form of corruption and political stitch- ups in the interests of justice.”
The letter sent to Mr Corbyn came as the Labour leader visited Motherwell and Shotts during a whistlestop tour of North Lanarkshire on Friday.
A Labour Group spokesman said: “It is sad to see that the SNP are still happy to peddle these smears against the council and its leader as Jim Logue has fought tirelessly against exactly the type of allegations he has been falsely accused of participating in over the last 30 years. “Whilst it’s understandable that Marion would look to try and score political points given her wafer-thin majority, perhaps if she focused her efforts on fighting for her constituents rather than peddling falsehoods, she would not have to resort to such a pathetic attempt to cling on to her seat, which Labour are poised to take next time.”