BOLTON had a long-standing reputation for putting the interests of the borough before party politics. There is a saying within the Council — “Bolton first — politics second”. This means that all three political parties have had a sound track record of working together to get the best deal for Bolton people.

It means that the lead party has always been inclusive towards the opposition parties and has always maintained an openness in decision making. In addition, Bolton has not seen — as a rule — some of the personal attacks and negative campaigning that have witnessed in other towns.

Sadly both the current leaders of the Conservative and Lib Dem opposition parties are testing this ethos to the limit. Some members of the opposition are becoming increasingly hostile in their personal attacks on Labour councillors. At the last meeting there were three such attacks made in the chamber.

We then witnessed the most disgraceful personal attack in an election leaflet that I have ever seen, with the Tories making outrageous statements about the former Mayor, Councillor John Byrne. Their attacks have continued within the pages of The Bolton News and even led to Cllr Walsh making the vindictive statement that maybe John Byrne should never have been Mayor in the first place. Who does John Walsh think he is?

Some kind of barometer as to who should become the first citizen and who should not.

These leaflets will be subject to scrutiny and their authors brought to account, should there be any indication of any breach of electoral or civil law.

When the current Mayor of Bolton was sworn in last week, an event known as “mayormaking”, it was the Lib Dems this time who broke with convention and attempted to make the civic event into a political side show. Their gripe?

That Labour — now having overall control of the Council had not offered a string of chairmanships to them and their Tory allies. For a Lib Dem rump of five (out of 60) to make any argument about this could be seen as laughable, but for the fact that Labour had actually offered them and the Tories chairmanship of committees that scrutinise the Executive. This is not the case in many other towns of all political colours. In Bolton the opposition are invited to and take part in all Executive meetings and policy development meetings.

Labour wants to continue to be inclusive to the opposition parties, and we will therefore work with any individual members of the Tories and Lib Dem parties who wish to be constructive for the sake of the people of this town. Those people who no longer wish to put Bolton first and politics second are making their views known quite clearly.

Cllr Nick Peel Bolton Labour Group