LOCAL Conservatives have claimed the trial of cleared council leader Russ Bowden was not politically motivated.
It followed Cllr Bowden’s statement outside Liverpool Crown Court, after he had been found not guilty of election fraud by a jury when he said: “Sadly there are those with political motivations that have led them to try and exploit this case in order to cast doubt on me as a person, attempting to undermine my leadership of the council and our Labour led council, regardless of the reputational damage to our town.
A spokesperson for Warrington Conservatives commented: “Councillor Bowden has been found not guilty of electoral fraud and it’s important that this is recognised.
“It was the Crown Prosecution Service that took this case to Court after concerns from the general public in Warrington, and we all appreciate that the upholding of electoral law is the lynchpin of our democracy.
“To be clear, the complaints to Cheshire police were not made by a political Party, hence we strongly disagree with Cllr Bowden’s comments in his statement that this was politically motivated.
“Elected members must be prepared to stand up to the toughest scrutiny and sometimes they will be challenged as has happened here.
“The Council leader and his deputy Cllr Mitchell have had this legal case looming over their heads for almost two years now. They must fully focus on the people of Warrington and ensure that their best interests are being served by their administration”.
