Labour rebel disappointed at suspension

WARRINGTON’S rebel Labour councillor Kevin Bennett has spoken of his disappointment at being suspended from the party for six month “voting against the whip.”
He claims he has effectively been given a nine-month suspension because he had already been suspended for three months when the decision was made by an appeal panel convened by the national party.
And he has spelled out in detail the commitment he has made to toe the party line in future.
The Fairfield and Howley councillor (pictured) said: “A spokesperson from the Labour group has been quoted as saying I had apologised for breaking the whip and that I had made a commitment that I would not break the whip again.
“My actual statement said that ‘it may have been the wrong decision’ and ‘if I was able to have a voice within the Labour group, I wouldn’t break the whip’”.
Cllr Bennett said his appeal hearing lasted two hours and 15 minutes and the decision was to suspend him for six months from the date of the appeal.
He said: “It seems that the three months that I had already served while waiting for my appeal, has not been taken into consideration. I have been told that I must abide by the Labour Group’s decisions whilst on suspension.
“I feel that I am being made an example of because Unite the Union are supporting me.
“There was a precedent set in Hull when three Labour councillors voted against their budget. Two of them have had their suspensions reduced to three months and the third to six months.
I have effectively got 9 months suspension. I don’t understand how they couldn’t have taken into consideration the bullying and intimidation that I and others have been put through.”
Earlier this year, Cllr Bennett voted against the council budget put forward by the borough council’s executive board.
Since then he has issued a number of further controversial statements, including a call for councillors to take a pay cut.
After his initial, local suspension he claimed to have been a victim of bullying, harassment and “distasteful accusations.”