Labour wanted me out, claims councillor
2:10pm Thursday 9th July 2009 in News
BOLTON’S longest-standing councillor has launched an astonishing attack on the leaders of his own party, who he claims tried to axe him.
Labour’s Cllr Laurie Williamson, who has represented Harper Green since 1979, claims he was only reselected to fight his seat at the next local election because “grass roots members” of the local party resisted attempts to replace him.
Cllr Williamson beat Chris Peacock, a caseworker for Bolton South East MP Dr Brian Iddon, by just three votes to be reselected.
He said: “I do believe that the truth needs to come out. There was a concerted effort to have me de-selected and it only failed because members of Harper Green came through for me.
“The leadership brought new members to the meeting and they were following orders to vote against me. I have nothing against Chris but I don’t feel it was right for them to try and oust me.”
Cllr Williamson said the local group was emulating the party at national level, which he accused of arrogance and forgetting its Labour roots. And he says his speaking out on certain issues and going against party lines led to the attempts to unseat him.
One such issue was the council’s decision to approve controversial academy schools last year.
Len Thomas, leader of the Bolton South East Labour Party, refused to comment on Cllr Williamson’s claims.
But a Labour source described the treatment of Cllr Williamson as “absolutely terrible”.
He added: “There are some people within the group who want something that Laurie has stood against for a long time (academies) and they wanted to replace him with someone who could see it through.
“The members who came down for the selection meeting will not be seen again until the next time they want rid of someone. It is a terrible way to do things.”
