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ONE PAPER ... ALL THE NEWS from Dewsbury, Batley, Ossett, Mirfield, Liversedge, Birstall, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton & Spen Valley
Friday May 27, 2016
12 MONTHS
No. 739
GUARANTEE
50p
It’s Pandor-monium as Kirklees power grab implodes
LEADERLESS Council left in limbo as front-runner for top job savaged by opponents
“Coun Pandor was trying to bolster his own group by telling them other parties would back him. Perhaps he was hoping to quell rebellion in his own ranks” – COUN MARTYN BOLT
By David Miller KIRKLEES Council is without a leader after a political power grab failed on Wednesday. Coun Shabir Pandor (Lab, Batley West) was savaged by opponents as his bid for the top job went down in flames, leaving the administration in limbo. Chief executive Adrian Lythgo will take the reins temporarily until a new leader can be found. He will have talks with councillors over the next few weeks in a bid to find a candidate. Coun Pandor became Labour group leader on May 9, following an apparent party ‘coup’ against previous council leader Coun David Sheard. On Tuesday, Coun Sheard (Lab, Heckmondwike) sacked his deputy leader, Coun Jean Calvert, in a row about her unpaid council tax. He then resigned as council leader to let Coun Pandor attempt to form a new administration. Coun Pandor only needed the backing of 35 out of 69 councillors on Wednesday. But Coun Sheard and three other Labour councillors – Cathy Scott (Dewsbury East), Graham Turner and Judith Hughes – were all absent. It meant that Coun Pandor lost the vote 33-31 as Tories, Lib Dems, Greens and Valley Independents all opposed him. Rival parties refused their backing after they claimed that their support
for him had been misrepresented. Coun Pandor denied claims of misrepresentation and accused rival parties of breaking his trust. He said after the meeting: “I haven’t made any promises, I’ve been very honest and open with everyone. “Just by me being transparent and open with them they’ve broken my trust by sharing what I’d told each of them. “If they had a problem they should have spoken to me directly – but noone did. “Instead they played to the gallery. They need to reflect on their positions because this is not a game.” What was always going to be a controversial debate got off to a stunning start when outgoing Tory leader Coun Robert Light (Con, Birstall & Birkenshaw) blasted Labour for their coup against Coun Sheard. He said: “There’s a nasty smell about what happened to David. That’s not the way to treat a man of his stature.” Coun Light added that the plotting was one of the worst deeds in the council’s 42-year history. On Monday, the Conservative group elected Liversedge & Gomersal councillor David Hall as their new leader – and he quickly put the boot in and said: “In a tale worthy of Game of Thrones, Labour embarked on an act of regicide.” Coun Hall said voters at last month’s elections had effectively endorsed Coun Sheard’s leadership.
Continued on Page 4
“By being transparent and open with them they’ve broken my trust by sharing what I’d told each of them. If they had a problem they should have spoken to me directly” – COUN SHABIR PANDOR
“In a tale worthy of Game of Thrones, Labour embarked on an act of regicide ... what this council needs is a leader who values wisdom above cleverness” – COUN DAVID HALL
“There’s a nasty smell about what happened to David. That’s not the way to treat a man of his stature” – COUN ROBERT LIGHT