Councillors deselected in Labour “bloodbath”

AT least eight Labour councillors are understood to have been “deselected” at Warrington after a selection meeting which has been described as a “bloodbath.”
Main casualty seems to be executive board member Cllr Kate Hannon (pictured)– wife of deputy leader of the council Mike Hannon – and a member of the council for 18 years.
She holds the leisure, community and culture portfolio.
It is understood she has been replaced by Morgan Tarr who used to work for the Labour Party in the West Midlands.
Another high profile executive board member, Cllr Pat Wright, is understood to have been moved from her Bewsey and Whitecross ward but selected in Rixton and Woolston were Cllr Paul Bretherton has been de-selected.
Other councillors believed to have been deselected are Billy Lines-Rowlands in Poulton North, Cllr Bill Brinksman in Woolston and Rixton, Cllr Jeff Richards at Bewsey and Whitecross, and Andy Heaver in Great Sankey North.
Cllr Steve Parish was deselected in Bewsey and Whitecross but will fight the Chapelford and Old Hall ward.
According to former Labour councillor Kevin Bennett, who now sits on the council representing the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), most of the changes have been enforced on local members by national or regional Labour Party chiefs.
He said: “I have talked with lots of Labour party members and councillors  who attended what has been described as a ‘bloodbath’ at the Orford Hub.
“The whole of Warrington should be under no illusion that Labour party members are now totally at war with each other and cannot be trusted with our town.
“Last year I said that some party members had been working with Labour HQ and the deputy leader Tom Watson to ‘knife’ their colleagues and I was mocked, but this has been proved correct.
“Two people who worked for Labour at the General Election, a member of staff at the party’s regional office and two close allies of Helen Jones MP have removed long-standing councillors, assisted by senior Labour chiefs who were sent to make sure certain people were culled.”
According to Cllr Bennett, a number of other senior Labour councillors, including executive board members, only narrowly escaped deselection.
Last month, Mayor Cllr Geoff Settle revealed he had been deselected and would not be seeking re-election in May.
Only at the weekend, Cllr Chris Vobe, announced he was standing down for personal reasons, stressing that he had not been deselected.
It is understood no canidates have yet been chosen in Lymm or Grappenhall.
Nick Bent, who has fought that Warrington South Parliamentary seat at the last two General Elections, has been selected to fight the Appleton seat.
Labour has not yet made any official announcement since the weekend selection meeting but is expected to name the full list of candidates later today.
But it is widely known that the party wanted to have at least one woman candidate in every ward.