LAST week, Clr Robert Bleakley, ward member for Tyldesley, caused outrage up and down the country after he was found guilty of using his council-issued phone to call sex lines and send inappropriate text messages of a sexual and sexist nature. In doing so, he racked up a taxpayer-paid phone bill of over £2,400. Councillor Bleakley’s defence? He’s paying it back. What he failed to mention is that he’s agreed to pay the money back via a reduction in his taxpayer-paid allowances.

Understandably, a lot of residents were outraged by his behaviour – as was I. In one text message he said: “Aren’t they f*****g idiots. No wonder women are just cooking and washing material." This is completely unacceptable.

What residents may not know is that this is not the first occasion Cllr Bleakley has been in trouble. In fact this was the third hearing he’s been in this year. In February he was found guilty of altering an email in an attempt to get an employee sacked. In March he was found guilty of using his work computer to view porn. Prior to this he’s been disqualified and suspended by the Standards Board for England twice and removed from the Liberal Democrat Party.

As part of our standards process (the way we investigate complaints against councillors) we removed his mobile phone, and asked he attend equal opportunities training to address his issues with women. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to police these sanctions – which makes it very tempting for him to refuse to go on the training course and considering his past behaviour and I would not be at all surprised if he tries to worm his way out of this one.

I’ve heard a lot of residents complain about Wigan Council’s “lenient” response and I must say I share their frustration. How a councillor, who is elected and paid for by Wigan borough residents, can have the audacity to stand in front of those who elected him and carry on without a care in the world is beyond me. He hasn’t just brought shame on himself, but on the council, on the borough and on Tyldesley. The fact that we are stuck with him is absolutely ridiculous.

The reason we cannot remove him, believe you me it is not through a lack of trying, is because the government removed our ability to do so. Some residents may or may not be aware that in 2011, the Localism Act removed local authorities’ power to remove a councillor from office.

I agree, I think he should be removed. I don’t want a sexist councillor representing anybody in the borough. But, like most things, it isn’t as simple as that. The only way that residents can have their say about who they want to represent them is by voting for the right to re-elect. Otherwise residents will be stuck with him until 2016 – when’s he’s up for re-election.

The people of Tyldesley are already taking a stand. On Saturday they’ll be launching a petition in the square to call on Clr Bleakley to resign.

If like me you don’t want to be stuck with Clr Bleakley for a second longer, sign the petition and make a stand.

Deputy Leader of Wigan Council Clr David Molyneux

  •  Campaigners will be stationed at Tyldesley Market Square from 11am tomorrow, Saturday, to launch the petition.
  • Will you sign the petition? Let us know what you think by emailing newsdesk@leighjournal.co.uk or visit our facebook page, facebook.com/leighjournal.