Power vacuum at Tameside Council after further resignations

TAMESIDE Council faces a virtual power vacuum after further senior members followed leader Cllr Gerald Cooney in stepping down.

As the national Labour Party steps in to oversee a change, two more of the top brass have resigned.

Deputy leader Cllr Bill Fairfoull has called it quits while first deputy, Cllr Jacqueline North, has also walked away.

That means effectively the three most senior roles at the authority are vacant, begging the question, ‘Who’s minding the shop?’

Deputy leader Cllr Bill Fairfoull has called it quits while first deputy, Cllr Jacqueline North, has also walked away.

The Correspondent understands Cllr Teresa Smith, who has only held the position of executive member for children’s services for little over two months, could step in, or it could be shared with Cllrs Laura Boyle, Denise Ward, Joe Kitchen – chair of council business – and Vimal Choksi, who were all part of the previous cabinet.

However, it is understood Cllr John Taylor – initially sacked from his role as executive member for adult social care and inclusivity, has in fact been reinstated.

The national party’s campaign improvement board – coming in citing ‘unacceptable working practices’ and demanding a ‘culture change’ – will select the best long-term candidate rather than councillors.

Cllr John Taylor has been reinstated

Several candidates, including Cllrs Fairfoull and North, may put themselves forward as The Correspondent has heard talk of a leadership challenge for some time.

Other names who may be in the frame include Cllrs Dave Sweeton, Eleanor Wills – who was sacked from her role in Cllr Cooney’s cabinet – and Claire Reid, who stepped down from chairing the key place and external relations scrutiny panel.

In his resignation message, Cllr Fairfoull said: “I am writing to inform you that this morning I have tendered my resignation as deputy leader of the Tameside Labour Group with immediate effect.

“It has been an honour to serve as your deputy leader and it’s a role I have always done to the best of my ability.

“Moving forward, I will commit to support the new leadership team especially in getting children’s services back to where it should be.

“I have always said that we must have a whole council approach.”

Cllr North also admitted she is stepping down because of Cllr Cooney’s resignation.

She wrote: “I have enjoyed a position of mutual respect with the leader, who has supported me in making the difficult decisions that come with the role in the current hostile environment for local government.

“I decided at the outset that should I continue to be elected by the people of Longdendale, I would like to stay in the role only whilst Ged was in office and wanted my support.

“In the light of Ged’s resignation I am therefore resigning from the cabinet.

“In departing cabinet, I would like to wish CIIr Teresa Smith in particular best of luck with the challenges she will face.”

 

8 Replies to “Power vacuum at Tameside Council after further resignations”

  1. As a former resident of Tameside this collection of Labour councillors have long behaved in a way that suggested they are untouchable. They have presided over a catastrophic decline in the borough and are clearly incapable of dealing with the challenges. It smacks of Derek Hatton in the 80’s when the Liverpool city council was taken over by Government appointed commissioners. The national ruling Labour Party needs to do the same with Tameside.

    1. Trouble is I suspect The national party, ie Angela Rayner, Forced the Childrens commissioner to change his report.So it didn’t have a recommendation for government to take over. We have the situation that she is campaigning for workers rights in Parliament.Yet her own council only have a seventy four percent satisfaction rating and a report such as was submitted.

  2. This politically incestuous group of councillors have been in power for too long. The opposition is weak and the is no effective challenge.

    Until the serious criticism of the children’s services report, they swanned along making mistake after mistake without any consequences.

    Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that Rayner and colleagues will improve matters.

    Labour voters should vote for another party as soon as the chance comes along.

    1. The weakness is down to numbers , 7 Conservative Councillors to 48 Labour, we have I member on each committee to Labours at least 10 . So although the Opposition voice is strong until we have more Councillors our vote is weak.

  3. There are so many things that TMBC should have been held accountable for over many years. The selling off of the Riverside Terrace/Walk in 2005 after publishing a document in 2003 promising its extension and improvement (I have it) was a gross fraud – no consultation and the destruction of a right of way (well used for 20+ years) . Sandra Stewart “mislaid” correspondence and refused to answer some of it. I supplied all the evidence I was asked for to prove it had been a right of way (despite it having been built by a pre-1974 Council and featuring in Tameside’s photographic collection, they did not give me the opportunity to address the Speakers panel that had been promised. Frauds, the lot of them.

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