CLLR BRENDA Warrington stepped down from being leader of Tameside Council – but not before a blast at how the challenge was conducted.
The Denton West representative opted to resign hours before the borough’s Labour Party’s AGM on Sunday, May 15.
Ged Cooney is now tasked with taking the authority forward but does so to a background of unhappy colleagues and MPs.
Following Cllr Warrington’s announcement, she met with fellow Denton and Audenshaw representative, as well as MP Andrew Gwynne.
And he pointedly said in public: “Brenda has been a star in very difficult circumstances. She deserved much better treatment than she got from some of her ‘colleagues.’”
In a message to her fellow councillors, obtained by The Correspondent, Cllr Warrington spelled out the effect of the way the challenge had been conducted.
She said: “It deeply saddens me that the Tameside Labour leadership contest has become so divisive and acrimonious, especially at a time when we should be helping our residents through extremely challenging times and preparing for hugely important all-out elections next year.
“As I said in my only statement on this matter following the elections, I would have much preferred for us to deal with internal group business in a private environment.
“I do not accept the reasons put forward for the leadership challenge, but I do not believe it conducive to future demands to continue to dwell on and rebut them.
“We need to come together in the interest of our residents. The unpleasantness needs to end now.
“I do not wish to perpetuate the current situation in the group and in order to attempt to put an end to the divisiveness, and to ensure we can get back to the important work we need to do on behalf of the residents of Tameside, I have decided I will not pursue my nomination to continue to lead the Tameside Labour group at this time.
“Integrity and honesty is – and always has been – important to me. I want to thank those colleagues who have been open and honest with me.
“I am especially grateful to those who have remained loyal to me, despite the pressures that I know you have endured.
“There remains huge challenges ahead for Tameside Council.
“We all owe it to our residents to put aside our differences and get on with the job of making Tameside a place of choice, the best possible place to live and work, and to create as much opportunity as possible for residents to get on and succeed.
“Being Tameside Labour group leader and executive leader of Tameside Council has been both a challenge (beset by unprecedented events) and a huge privilege.
“Thank you for your support, guidance and hard work throughout my four-and-a-half year tenure.
“Finally, I wish the new administration every success in building on the good work Tameside Labour has achieved together.”
Before deciding to step down, Cllr Warrington pointed at the way things had been conducted and even claimed an MP convinced a senior member of her executive cabinet, Cllr Oliver Ryan, to change sides.
She said: “I am at a loss to understand why Cllr Cooney did not, at any stage, privately communicate his ambition to take over responsibility as leader.
“Ged Cooney has been my right hand ever since he persuaded me to stand as Leader following the sad death of Cllr Kieran Quinn, I had always thought we could trust each other.
“Whilst I accept the right of any elected Labour councillor to mount a leadership challenge, I did not expect the degree of pressure exerted by several people, to try to force me to withdraw – it has been a very unpleasant experience.
“Having said that, I would have preferred the pressure to have been confined to me and I am sad to know that others have also been subjected to intense pressure to secure support for Cllr Cooney.
“A very public example of this, referred to by Cllr Cooney in his comments to the media, is Oliver Ryan, who, following a phone call from a senior prominent Labour Party MP in Tameside, was forced to switch support away from me for fear of his future political ambition being destroyed if he refused.
“This led to a letter from Oliver written to Cllr Cooney being widely circulated during the critical pre-election period. I won’t deny that this hurt and upset me and probably damaged the party too.
“I regret this hostile challenge to my leadership has created a huge division within the Tameside Labour Group and it will be necessary for this to be resolved.”