Wirral Labour vote to unfairly exclude only 1 of 66 councillors from Council policy decisions

All Tory councillors also voted to single out only myself.

Green and Liberal Democrat councillors did the right thing and voted to include me on Housing policy committee.

The Labour Party expelled me, retrospectively for speaking at a meeting three years ago.

Wirral Labour leader, Cllr Janette Williamson said she is "pleased" while deputy Labour leader, Cllr Paul Stuart smirked. Disgraced former Wirral Labour leader, Cllr Steve Foulkes called for a by-election, against the democratic wishes of people in Bromborough ward.

His by-election call was echoed by Cllr Julie McManus, who is Chair of Housing policy committee. Julie, who is white and not Jewish, claimed she "is not a racist".

All 25 Wirral Labour councillors voted to exclude me (4 were absent)

Transcript

Cllr Jo Bird: Thank you and mazel tov to Councillor Orod Osanlou for his first speech this evening.

The Labour Party have expelled me for speaking at a meeting 3 years ago, and for signing a petition almost 2 years ago. These were organised by Labour Against the Witch hunt, and Labour banned that organisation only 4 months ago. But the Labour Party has applied retrospective punishment against me and many other people. What I did at the time was perfectly legitimate - the Labour Party changed the rules after that, only 4 months ago.

But I won’t lie to you, I am delighted to have been expelled by the Labour Party. I am free now from the Labour Party’s hostile environment, where Jewish people like me are 31 times more likely to be investigated for talking about the racism we face. I am free from the fear of disciplinary action for exercising my human rights of freedom of expression and freedom of association - to speak and meet with other people.

More than 2,000 people of Bromborough, Port Sunlight and New Ferry re-elected me last May for 4 years, with 61% of votes. I will continue to work for this fantastic community as a local Independent councillor. I was elected to: promote justice & equality; to protect lives and livelihoods; enhance jobs, services and our environment; and to oppose cruel cuts. My values and work have not changed, the Labour Party has changed from the Party I joined in 2015.

It has become nasty, toxic, and humourless. The Leader of the Labour Party writes in The S*n newspaper, traumatising bereaved communities most unnecessarily.

We have seen this evening Labour voting with the Tories. This is an unholy alliance, and it is not going to go well for our Council, our workforce nor our communities.

Turning to the fair appointment to committees. It would be fair if my amendment is approved. It would appoint me to the Housing Committee and Pensions Committee. Policy committees like Housing make decisions and recommendations that directly affect residents of Bromborough, including about the Council’s budget.

There are 66 places of 6 Policy Committees, and 66 councillors elected by Wirral residents. In addition, there are another 15 places on Policy & Resources Committee. It would only be fair, reasonable and proportionate to appoint an elected councillor to a Policy Committee, if they want to.

Why should one councillor out of 66 be singled out for exclusion from any policy committee? Perhaps that would be from nastiness or from something else? Thank you.

Cllr George Davies: Can I just confirm, sorry Pat, that you are seconding this?

Cllr Pat Cleary: Yes I am.

Cllr George Davies: Thank you. Debates. We now have a debate on the amendments only and votes before we return to original motion as amended or otherwise. Do any councillors wish to speak on the amendments? Okay, Steve Foulkes.

Cllr Steve Foulkes: Thank you Mr Mayor. I think it is a little bit, well very disappointed that another Party has involved itself in seconding such a motion. It can only be for mischievous reasons, I would one would suspect.

However, the Labour Party has rules, people should…[inaudible speaking in the background]... Sorry that was a racist remark…[Background: No it wasn’t. No it was not.] Would you like to remove that? Okay maybe not.

Anyway, the Labour Party has rules, very strong rules, strict rules, and is going through a period of changing the rules. I think it is incumbent on anyone who is elected as a Labour Councillor to stick to those rules and not jeopardize their position as an elected member for the Labour Party.

I remember when other members who felt they couldn't stay within the Labour Party moved to an independant status, and colleagues such as Jo Bird were shouting from the rooftops, “there should be a by-election, because you were elected as a Labour Councillor and you stand as a Labour Councillor".

Your are not a Labour Councillor, you are an Independent. I suggest you do the right thing and call a by-election, and let’s have the people of Bromborough make the decision and elect another Labour Councillor, or whoever. You may win, I doubt it.

I just want to say that’s the way it is in politics. You conduct yourself in every manner to try and stay within the Labour Party. That's my motto. Whatever you disagree with, the leadership or whatever, you stay in and you fight for the Labour Party to be a better place. I think it is becoming a better place to be, that’s my experience, and it doesn’t reflect the scenario Councillor Bird reflects. So I would ask for a by-election to be called immediately. It’s the honourable thing to do.

Cllr George Davies: Thank you. Councillor Julia McManus.

Cllr Julia McManus: Thank you Mr Mayor. I am disappointed that Councillor Bird accuses the Labour Party of being racist.

As a member of that Party, I am not racist, and I hope she would reconsider that comment. Just following on from my colleague Councillor Foulkes, you were elected as a Labour Councillor, Jo. I would like to see you call a by-election. Let’s put it to the vote of the individuals who live in that ward that you currently represent. Thank you Mr Mayor.

Cllr George Davies: Thank you Julia. Councillor Stuart Whittingham.

Cllr Stuart Whittingham: Thank you Mr Mayor. I’m not going to repeat my colleagues regarding a by-election. I would just like to be helpful, because the Green Party think Councillor Bird should be on the Housing Committee, maybe they could give up their place rather than asking Labour members to give up their place on the Housing Committee. Just a suggestion.

Cllr George Davies: Councillor Phil Gilchrist.

Cllr Phil Gilchrist: Thank you Mr Mayor. I’m not going to stray into the issues internal to the Labour Party. I observe that the Housing Committee meets not as regularly as I would like, but it has a job to do. Councillor Bird has always shown, in my experience - and the material I’ve read that she’s put out with colleagues in the Eastham and Bromborough areas - a close interest in housing, a close interest in our registered social landlords, and an interest in poor housing conditions. On that basis, I’d ask members to consider what she can bring to the committee, and vote about that - and not on personalities or disagreements that have taken place.

Cllr George Davies: Is that it? Okay, Councillor Cleary. You now have up to 3 minutes to speak to the amendment.

Cllr Pat Cleary: Thank you Mayor. First of all I’d echo the last points that were made.

That really as Councillor Bird said, there’s 66 Councillors and 66 Committee places.

No Councillor should be excluded from the policy of this Committee. As somebody who was excluded from any scrutiny role on policy for 5 years, I think that really conflicts with what we have been asked to do, through the external reassurance reviews, that councillors should work together. I think we should be acknowledging that, and we should be seeking to use the best of all our talents. The original proposal tonight doesn’t do that.

As Councillor Gilchrist said, Councillor Bird has played an active role on housing. She sat on Housing, let her continue on Housing and make a positive contribution.

To suggest this is a mischievous amendment is insulting, I would say. It’s completely inaccurate. It is done out of principle. I would do the same, in similar circumstances, for any member, from any Party who is in the same circumstances. I would support their wish to stay on scrutiny, and on policy.

Frankly it's difficult to think of any other institution that would deliberately undermine members. In an employment situation this would be grounds for constructive dismissal. Ultimately as well it is disrespectful to voters and anti-democratic. That’s what it is.

If you would disapprove of this kind of behaviour in an employment setting [heckling] Can I speak without being interrupted? It's very rude. I didn’t interrupt any of you guys. OK.

In an employment setting we would condemn this kind of behaviour, so why do we tolerate it here?

Oh by the way, congratulations to our new councillor, whose name I have forgotten [Laughter] Orod Osanlou. Yes, my apologies. But he made the same point about being respectful towards one another. You know, you hear some of the comments tonight, and you can actually appreciate why Councillor Bird might be delighted to have been expelled from the Labour Party.

This is a positive amendment. It should apply across Party, the principle. So I would really ask everyone to support this, because similar situations may crop up in the future, and we should recognise the principle that every councillor has the right to determine the policy of this Council and sit on a policy committee. Thank you Mayor.

Cllr George Davies: Right to reply, proposal of the original motion, Councillor Williamson. You have the right to reply and may address the Council for up to 3 minutes.

Cllr J. Williamson: I don’t intend to do that, except to say I’m pleased for you Jo, if you're delighted to be expelled from the Party. I am pleased that you are delighted. Pat - I think we have given you a solution, you can give up one of your seats if you want.

Cllr George Davies: Okay, there being no further speakers. I will move to the vote on the amendment. All those in favour.

Cllr Jo Bird: Some comments have been made about me that I would like to respond to. Thank you.

Phil McCourt: There is only a personal explanation

Cllr George Davies: Yep. There’s no right to respond, Councillor Bird, but there is a right of…if you wish to explain it Phil.

Philip McCourt: Thank you Mr Mayor. Councillor Bird, there isn’t a right to response if anything is said about a councillor, so there isn’t the ability to do that. All there is is the right to personal explanation, which is where someone has said something has been mistaken by somebody else. A factual statement for example, where someone has misheard them, and it’s a simple correction. It isn’t a right to reply or response.

Cllr Jo Bird: Thanks. I believe there has been a misunderstanding that I would like to make a personal statement about. It’s very short.

Cllr George Davies: I will allow you, Jo, to make a short, very short, reply please.

Cllr Steve Foulkes: Mr Mayor, point of order! If that statement refers to any comment that any other members have made in the personal, we will all be up all night replying. It’s absolute nonsense, Mr Mayor.

Cllr Jo Bird: Thank you, Mr Mayor. Councillors have resigned from the Labour Party in recent years and have been allowed to make personal statements too. It’s right, I did call for them to resign as councillors and call a by-election, because they resigned from the Party they were elected to represent.

But I haven't resigned from Labour. I’ve stuck to the rules of the Party. They changed the rules and applied them retrospectively. The Labour Party expelled me. Bromborough residents want me to continue as their elected Councillor. Thank you.

Cllr George Davies: Thank you. Right, there being no further speakers. I will move to the vote on the amendment.

All those in favour?

[Councillor Jo Bird, all Green and Liberal Democrat councillors raise their hands in favour of the amendment.]

Eleven. Right, all those against?

[All Labour and Conservative councillors raise their hands against.]

Got them? Yep. OK. And any abstentions please?

[Two Independent Councillors raise their hands.]

Cllr Jeff Green: Oh the irony.

Cllr George Davies: Who's that behind Foulksey? Moira?

Cllr Jeff Green: Yep. Oh the irony.

Cllr George Davies: OK. The result is: votes in favour 11, votes against 46, abstentions 2. That is lost.

07 December 2022