Sparks fly after Dudley's Labour leader quits

Cllr David Sparks has stepped aside as leader of the Labour-run authority and his successor seems certain to be deputy leader, Cllr Pete Lowe.

Leader of the Conservative opposition, Cllr Patrick Harley believes Cllr Lowe and his allies will move the council’s policies further towards a socialist agenda driven by political dogma.

To make his point Cllr Harley highlighted a motion to be debated at the next full council meeting, on Monday December 1, which would ban the authority from buying goods and services where there would be a direct benefit to the state of Israel.

He said: “This is going back to the days of the Militant Tendency in the 1980s, it serves no purpose. The left will run riot, there will be more motions like this which do nothing for the people of Dudley - there will be more crackpot ideas.

“David was very level headed, he did what was required, he didn’t try to lurch to the left.

“In the council chamber he defended his position ferociously but outside he was extremely hard working and approachable.”

Cllr Lowe was quick to rubbish the claims and hit back at Cllr Harley, who recently saw two Tory councillors defect to Labour.

He said: “This is a good example of loony politics, he is out of touch with the people of Dudley and his own party.

“Myself and David are on the same page politically as is the whole of the group. If I become leader, our approach will be exactly the same, we believe in engagement with the local community, it is not about the politics of the left or right.”

Cllr Sparks, who is chairman of the national Local Government Association announced his departure as leader of the ruling Labour group last Friday and will step down at the next full council meeting when his replacement will be elected.

He is quitting to concentrate on his LGA work and the announcement also follows a health scare earlier this month when he became unwell during a committee meeting at the House of Commons.