Labour leader calls for outburst Tory to be sacked

11:33am Wednesday 9th July 2008

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A POLITICAL storm is brewing after Bury’s Labour leader called for a top Tory to be sacked for his verbal outbursts.

Councillor Wayne Campbell has asked Bury Council Leader Bob Bibby to remove Coun Peter Redstone from the council’s top table as punishment for “outrageous” comments he made in last week’s newspaper.

Last week, we reported how the council’s standards sub-committee had told Coun Redstone he must be retrained and write a letter of apology to a member of the public, Ann Audin, for arguing with her at a meeting at Elms Community Centre in Whitefield at the start of June.

Mrs Audin was satisfied with the outcome, but Coun Redstone insisted he had done nothing wrong and would not apologise because he was not invited to the standards sub-committee meeting, which he dubbed a “kangaroo court”.

He also criticised Mrs Audin, the borough council and Coun Joan Grimshaw for their roles in the matter.

His outburst prompted Coun Campbell to immediately write to Coun Bibby calling on him to sack Coun Redstone.

The letter said: “Coun Redstone’s attack on the independent standards sub-committee and its members is outrageous and unbefitting of anyone holding public office.

“A key role of the standards committee is to make sure all councillors understand and follow the council’s code of conduct.

“Coun Redstone’s aggression to the committee and any decisions made in respect of a breach of the code shows another example of Coun Redstone’s disrespect for protocol, procedure or anyone else’s view.

“His outburst in the paper is a perfect example of the reason he finds himself in front of the standards committee in the first place.

“I believe his position on the council’s executive has become untenable.

“I would ask you to have him removed.”

Coun Redstone said: “My response is that the people of Bury have removed Coun Campbell and now support the Conservatives.”

Coun Bibby said he would not comment because the issue was still being dealt with by the standards committee.

But, he added: “I am more concerned that this information has been leaked to the press than the actual alleged wrongdoing.”