Storm over by-election stitch-up

A POLITICAL storm has blown up over a parish council by-election at Warrington.
Labour has alleged a “LibDem-Tory stitch-up” over the contest for the Cobbs Ward seat on Appleton Parish Council.
But the Liberal Democrats have accused Labour of playing politics.
The by-election will take place on March 13 and nominations will close on February 14.
But Labour has already announced their candidate – retired police officer Paul Carter, who was runner-up at the last election in 2012.
The Liberal Democrats say their candidate will by Judith Wheeler, a former member of Warrington Borough Council.
A vacancy arose on the parish council when Liberal Democrat Lauren Bailey resigned after being unable to attend meetings for some time.
Labour say they approached the Liberal Democrats about co-opting Mr Carter, the runner-up at the last election, to avoid the cost of a by-election.
They claim the Liberal Democrats threatened to co-opt Jonathan Levy, a Conservative, who came third at the last election.
Labour Parliamentary candidate Nick Bent said: “We felt that was an abuse
of power by the LibDems and that Cobbs residents should have their say about who they want to represent them.
“In the middle of a serious cost-of-living crisis for many families on the Cobbs estate, Labour is not prepared to let another grubby deal between the Tories and LibDems go unchallenged.”
But Liberal Democrat Cllr Judith Walker said: “We did not threaten to co-opt a Tory. Why should we? We have our own candidate.
“We actually said we did not know yet whether we would co-opt anyone or whether we would call an election, which is the democratic way of doing things.
“It is for the council to decide whether to co-opt anyone or call an election and although we control the council that does not necessarily mean we will co-opt one of our own. The last time a vacancy occurred we co-opted a Conservative because the vacancy arose through the death of a Conservative councillor.
“We do not know yet who might stand for election – there could be independents, a Conservative, UKIP or any other party.”
Conservative spokesman Cllr Paul Kennedy said: “To my knowledge there have been no conversations between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives regarding
the vacancy. When the vacancy was first announced, I advised the local Conservative Association that they should not call for an election, but rather wait and see how things panned out.
“If an election was called for, then Jonathan Levy, a Cobbs Ward resident, local campaigner and regular attendee of the Parish meetings should be the candidate.
“As Parish Councils now have to pay for by-elections, I understand an election for the Cobbs Ward will cost in the region of £5,500.”
Paul Carter and his wife, Jean, have lived in the Cobbs area for more than 30 years. Since retiring from the police he has been an active volunteer with Warrington Disability Partnership and, in his younger days, was a playing member of Warrington RUFC.
Judith Wheeler has moved back to Appleton after living for some years at Great Sankey, where she served as a borough councillor.
Pictured: Judith Wheeler and Paul Carter.