Row erupts among Dudley politicians over ‘grubby deals’ and votes for sale

The brutal exchanges took place on social media when Labour councillors, including Stourbridge MP Cllr Cat Eccles, Liberal Democrats and an independent councillor traded blows following a meeting of the full council on January 30.

The row was played out in comments on Dudley Labour Party’s Facebook page, linked to a post featuring a video clip of Labour’s Cllr Caroline Reid’s speech at the meeting attacking reductions in Council tax relief and increased council rents.

The changes are part of the Conservative-controlled council’s budget plans for the coming financial year, but Labour attacked the Lib Dems.

Labour’s post said: “Cllr Reid spoke about her experience and urged the council to reconsider.

“The Liberal Democrats had the chance to vote against these proposals and protect the residents of Dudley. They chose not to.”

Lib Dem group leader, Cllr Ryan Priest, was quick to retaliate, he went for Cllr Eccles who was not present at the meeting but praised Cllr Reid on her speech.

Cllr Priest said: “It was even better in person, you should try it some time.”

Dudley is run by the Conservatives with 35 councillors but no outright majority.

Labour has 32 members of the council and could outvote the Tories with support of the Unity Group, which has three Lib Dem members and one independent councillor.

The remaining council seat is held by independent Shaun Keasey, who is not aligned with any group.

The Unity Group abstained in a vote on the reduction in council tax relief, which led to Cllr Eccles criticising Cllr Priest by saying his group should vote against the ‘horrendous’ proposals rather than ‘propping up the Tories’.

Cllr Priest accused Labour of allowing the Conservatives to take control of the council in exchange for ‘more money for councillors’, referring to the mayoralty and the allocation of jobs chairing select committees which come with extra special responsibility payments, which he branded a ‘grubby deal’.

Six Labour councillors sent apologies and did not attend the meeting, a point latched onto by Lib Dem Cllr Ethan Stafford, who said, “You did not bring enough members for this to be voted against. How are the Lib Dems to blame?”

Cllr Andrew Tromans, who left the council’s Labour group to sit as an independent and is now part of the Unity Group, has been trying to persuade his former political bedfellows and borough Labour MPs to sign an open letter urging a change of plans to cut the authority’s Welfare Rights Team.

He went for Dudley’s Labour leader, Cllr Pete Lowe, by asking: “Any more thoughts on signing this letter or are you still wringing your hands?” and claimed the MPs fall silent when asked to make a meaningful contribution.

Cllr Lowe pointed out Labour opposed the cuts and thanked Cllr Tromans for the ‘personal attack’.

A clearly frustrated Cllr Elaine Taylor said: “The Tories are in power and they alone are responsible for all these cuts.

“They are the party that has put us in this position. It’s like being in a playground with all this mud-slinging. The Tories are having such a laugh at our bickering”.