THERE were angry scenes in Wigan’s council chamber as Labour councillors shut down a debate on a motion of no confidence in the authority’s leader.
Shouts of "disgrace" and "democracy is dead" were heard at the town hall after deputy council leader Keith Cunliffe, used council procedure to end the debate and proceed straight to a vote, despite several opposition councillors wanting to speak on the matter.
Cllr James Fish, an Independent, had tabled the motion of no confidence in the Labour leader of the council, David Molyneux, MBE.
He cited recent leadership decisions, financial management and transparency concerns. The motion called for the "leader be removed from office with immediate effect" and a new leader elected.
Labour’s Keith Cunliffe described the motion as "ridiculous" and "pointless" and claimed Cllr Fish was "showboating" with no chance of success given that the Labour party had 62 of the 75 councillors on the authority.
In his speech proposing the motion, Cllr Fish, said: “I know exactly how the Labour group will respond. The Labour group have already called this ‘political theatre’.
“They call it ‘gesture politics’ for social media. “They use those phrases because they are comfortable; they use them because it’s easier than defending a record of failure.
“This motion is not for the cameras. This motion is a formal cry of ‘enough is enough’ on behalf of the residents of Wigan Borough.
“It is about a leadership that has become a closed shop, a leadership supported by ‘nodding donkeys’ in a cabinet that has forgotten that their mandate comes from the doorstep, not the town hall counting room.
“It is time for a leader who doesn’t just rule but listens.”
Clr Maureen O’Bern, seconded the motion. She said: “The leader and the cabinet seem to have forgotten what they were elected for – that is to represent the people of Wigan borough.
“Not Peel Land Properties, the Chinese Communist Party or big corporations.
“They paid BCEGI, a Chinese Communist partly owned company £8M to demolish The Galleries, a perfectly good 30-year-old building that should have been repurposed.
“That money should have regenerated our centre, not demolished it.
“They gave planning permission to Peel to build unsightly giant warehouses right in the path of residential buildings which has caused structural damage, untold misery and financial loss for residents.
“The media coverage has also destroyed the reputation and credibility of Wigan council.
“The buck stops at the top and it’s time for the leader to go.”
Responding, deputy leader of the council, Keith Cunliffe, said: “In all the time I’ve been on the council we’ve never had such a ridiculous, pointless, purely cynical motion put before the council.
“Cllr Fish is well aware of what the make up of this council is – so in putting this forward it’s clear that there is no chance of it being approved. “The reason behind it is showboating, grandstanding and having a go at the leader.”
Cllr Cunliffe then proposed a standing order procedure, which was backed by Labour colleagues, that no other speakers would be allowed to add to the debate and the motion would proceed straight to a vote.
That decision caused consternation among opposition councillors with one shouting out ‘disgrace’ and another saying ‘democracy is dead’.
Councillors were told by the mayor of Wigan, Cllr Jenny Bullen, who was chairing the meeting, to ‘stop shouting across the chamber’.
Later in the meeting, Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield councillor Steve Jones criticised the decision to close the debate without members having the chance to speak.
He said: “You’re shutting down debate and freedom of speech, that’s the Labour Party through and through. “If you disagree with us, we’ll call you names and we’ll shut you down.”
He added that by ending the debate Labour councillors "had done more harm to the leader than if they had let it continue".
The no confidence motion was heavily defeated by 42 votes to 13.
Share