A council leader has stepped down from his role after being suspended from the Labour Party following a "complaint". After Campaign Against Antisemitism reported on the numerous investigations, resignations and suspensions of Labour councillors on Sandwell Council - including a Leader and the current Interim Leader - a concerned member of the public has submitted further evidence of antisemitism from members of the Council.. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that one message abused the grieving friends of murder victim Sarah Everard, with further derogatory comments made about Ms Rayner and a Muslim woman whose hijab was mocked. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules, What Europe's royals could teach King Charles. Read about our approach to external linking. Read about our approach to external linking. Mr Jones has vehemently denied the claims. 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She said she was "saddened and shocked" to have been deselected, adding: "If another woman had given a better interview than me and been selected then I could have accepted it. It is unclear when this decision took place. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Labour Party said it takes all complaints of anti-Semitism "extremely seriously". More cronyism? A spokesman for the authority said: We have been made aware of the matter and will be discussing the matter with the member in question. She previously maintained her innocence, claiming the recording was altered by political opponents. Mr Hussain, now suspended by Labour, has previously denied any wrongdoing. A Labour Party spokesman said: "The Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.". Councillor Maria Crompton It is also understood that two other Sandwell councillors - including a cabinet member - have been suspended by the Labour Party. The tumultuous events within the Sandwell Conservatives have cast doubt on their ability to provide a strong opposition to Sandwell Labour, who won an overwhelming majority in this years local elections. She denied being racist saying she never had the chance to defend herself. There is no evidence Mr Hussain "obtained any advantage" and Mr Jones was a "passive bystander", said the QC, It is likely confidential information was shared by Mr Hussain with his son Azeem Hafeez before Mr Hafeez submitted a bid for the former coroner's office, the day before the property was advertised by the council, It is alleged Mr Hussain "persuaded" the council to seek to a buy a strip of land, which he knew was owned by his son - who also previously worked for the council - and the relationship was not revealed, The QC also said Mr Hafeez "appeared to have done nothing" to declare his interest as an employee or Mr Hussain's son, which allegedly breached Section 117 of the Local Government Act 1972 [on disclosure by officers of direct or indirect pecuniary interests] and the council's Officer Code of Conduct and meant "disciplinary action" was required. An email sent to all councillors in Sandwell from the local party chair on Monday, seen by the BBC, said two of their number had been suspended - one of whom is understood to be Ms Hadley,. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The chairmans role in their local party is to provide guidance, leadership, and ensure the local party is working towards its agreed vision and development plan. The tweets have since been deleted. It is unclear when this decision took place. The party said it could not comment on individual cases but said it takes "all complaints extremely seriously". A former deputy council leader "interfered" in parking tickets issued to members of his family, a lawyer has found. Responsible for local and national political stories, opinion, comment and analysis. The Conservative leader at Sandwell Council has been suspended over alleged abuse tweets aimed at a number of people, including Labour MP Angela Rayner. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. After his resignation, in an email to Labour councillors Mr Eling, who has been a councillor since 1986, said he has "made a few enemies but all my critics can throw at me is personal abuse," the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. In her resignation speech at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, she claimed "old white men" in her party "wanted to go back". The leadership turmoil began in January 2019 when then-leader Steve Ealing was among several Sandwell councillors who were suspended or thrown out of the Labour Party by its National Executive Committee. Labour is going to be on a real sticky wicket this year in Sandwell and this latest cull doesn't really make sense. Councillor Steve Melia is shown in a video from Julian Saunders aka Sandwell Skidder A Labour source said that Councillor Steve Melia has been administratively suspended from the Labour. Sandwell is the heartland of the Labour right, which lost control of the borough during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party, amid a slew of allegations of corruption as well as sexual harassment and sleaze. Thanet Council leader quit after being accused of 'series of failures'. I am horrified that I might even be consideredso to be," she told colleagues during the online meeting. "This is not the first time the national party has interfered in Sandwell and people are fed up of it. Read about our approach to external linking. Sandwell need councillors that put people and services first. "I categorically deny that these were written by me and the views expressed, which are abhorrent, are not the ones I hold.". 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Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk, Resignation calls over recording with racist slurs, Coronation a chance to relive history as people in region remember Queens crowning moment, Latest food hygiene ratings across the Black Country and Staffordshire - with two given zero, Only essential mowing to take place in four Birmingham wards for councils pilot project, Sister sprayed brother with chili and vinegar concoction in long-running family feud, Grass won't be mowed for a month in four Birmingham neighbourhoods, Negotiations underway to secure new police base in north of Dudley borough, Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies. Current leader Councillor Crompton became Sandwell Council's fourth leader in 18 months when she took over in July last year on an interim basis. Two Sandwell councillors quit, claiming Labour are trying to 'cover-up corruption and cronyism'. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. His suspension follows that of councillors Joanne Hadley, who is cabinet member for safer communities, and fellow Tipton Green councillor Ian Jones. Gowling WLG investigated alleged irregularities in the sale of the authority's former properties from 2011-2013, including three old public toilet blocks and a former coroner's office in Smethwick. The Labour Party also launched an investigation into the borough's interim council leader, Councillor Maria Crompton. suspended by the Labour Party following allegations she posted anti-Semitic tweets. His suspension is believed to have followed a series of posts he made which the party says "may reasonably be seen to involve anti-Semitic actions, stereotypes and sentiments". Mr Khan is the complainant in the case against Councillor Hadley, where he alleged she made racist remarks during a private phone call. In Sandwell we know diversity is our strength and these fresh faces will bring a wealth of lived experience to the council chamber. In August, the Labour Party said it took "all complaints of racism extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken". The new candidates also include Nagi Daya Singh in Rowley, a local shopkeeper who is understood to be in his mid-80s. knocked a phone out of the hands of a blogger. Sandwell Council Thursday 18 November 2021, 10:58am Lucy Kapasi Reporter, ITV News Central Cllr Rajbir Singh has resigned for personal reasons Credit: Sandwell Council It has been an. And Tipton ward councillor Ian Jones, a former cabinet member who has been a councillor for 22 years, has also been suspended by Sir Keir Starmer's party. He claimed the tweets have appeared from a fake account, and that he was the victim of "internal Conservative fighting" set out to undermine, at the time, his leadership position. Last month, Sandwell Council revealed it was hiring an extra member of staff to deal with complaints about elected councillors and there are currently 10 live investigations into the conduct of members. Councillor Susan Eaves has been deselected in Rowley, although it is understood she has now been named as the candidate for Princes End. A West Midlands Police spokesman confirmed the force was investigating but so far nobody has been arrested. Councillor Melia continued to ask this question, before knocking the phone out of Mr Saunders hand. Although he was not part of the council group, he knew what the councillors were doing day in and day out.. Councillor Hadley has not responded to requests for a comment. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "Sandwell Conservatives does not condone any racism, misogynistic or offensive comments and will continue to work with community groups to ensure that everybody has a home in the Conservative Party," group chairman Connor Jones said. This was among three occasions Mr Hussain allegedly broke the Member Code for councillors to help his family, according to the QC. Last year, several Conservative members, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed there was evidence that minority ethnic members were being bullied, racially abused, and cut out of communications to ensure they were not chosen to represent the Sandwell Conservatives during this years local elections. They include Bill Gavan, who. His statement maintained "the handle" on the tweets "did not match the handle on my verified account". "To me that's terrible for the residents of Newton. 2. "I am sorry if I got it wrong. And in an extraordinary turn of events, Laured Kalari, the former Sandwell Conservative leader, has been cleared by the party of any wrongdoing. The One Way of Bernard Street, West Bromwich will be suspended for the duration of the event. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. MORE: Suspended Labour councillor could stand for Tories. Councillor Davies then stood down in July last year after she was suspended by the Labour Party following allegations she posted anti-Semitic tweets. Connor Jones, the chairman for Sandwell Conservatives, was suspended on June 3 following complaints from several councillors over his conduct. Brand new buses mean farewell tour for the Sandwell Youth Bus. Mr Jones has vehemently denied the claims. His case has been referred to the National Constitutional Committee, Labour's ultimate disciplinary body. Read about our approach to external linking. Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. the borough's interim council leader, Councillor Maria Crompton. A Sandwell councillor has been suspended from the Labour party after an alleged assault against a blogger. Mr Singh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he felt a large portion of the the attitudes and behaviour of Mr Jones was based on his Mr Singh race, and "pockets" of the Sandwell Conservatives were argumentative towards non-white members. "Numerous times I was made fun of because of my age and my thick Indian accent. Read about our approach to external linking. Mr Kalari had continued to protest his innocence and deny the tweets came from his account. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 13:26, 10 DEC 2021. Ward: Hateley Heath Party: Labour Party Keith Allcock. Mr Khan added: "My complaint against Joanne Hadley's racist remarks this is revenge for that.". "There has been a culture of deceit and cover up at the council," she said. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Connor Jones, chairman of Sandwell Conservatives, has been suspended while Laured Kalari has been reinstated into the party, Get all the latest politics news straight to your inbox with our bi-weekly newsletter. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. Senior Multi-Media Journalist@JamieB_Star. More cronyism? Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. She also claimed millions of pounds had been spent "with little regard to the public purse". Read about our approach to external linking. READ MORE:Sandwell's Conservative leader urged to resign over 'distasteful' social media posts. It is not yet clear why. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. More incompetence? This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. It is the first confirmed case of the new coronavirus. Councillor Jones told the Express & Star that councillors "aren't able to comment on Labour Party business". Sandwell Council's Yvonne Davies was being investigated over tweets she posted in 2018 and was suspended by the Labour party on Monday, she said. Steve Eling resigned as Sandwell Council leader on Wednesday, three weeks after his suspension.. A new leader will be formally elected in March and Mr Eling said he will continue to serve his. "It is understood a man in his 60s was assaulted by a man in his 70s following a verbal altercation. On the parking tickets, Mr Hussain gave evidence denying he sought favourable treatment. Councillor Underhill said she was planning to write to Sir Keir Starmer to demand answers, and did not rule out standing against Labour in the election. Eling was suspended after complaints of serious misconduct. Mr Hussain has been suspended afresh, the party confirmed. Current council leader Kerrie Carmichael said her vision for Sandwell was for a borough totally focused on . Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Birmingham Hodge Hill MP accused of misusing public cash. (Image: Julian Saunders) A Sandwell councillor has been suspended from the Labour party after an . Satpal claimed the actions by Mr Jones had gone back as far as the end of 2021. The video, at time of writing, has almost 90,000 views on Twitter. One post from August 2014 shows a cartoon image featuring a man with a Star of David symbol on his sleeve chopping up a small child. He claimed: They fought and argued with anyone from a BAME background, [and] would always belittle their ideas or statements in meetings and out of them. The QC suggested Mr Hussain's breaches of the Member Code included: Mr Hussain gave evidence he did not know who was buying the toilet blocks because the purchase was through a company name, not the name of his friend. Subscribe to our daily newsletter! Mr Khan told the Express & Star he was trying to highlight to political turmoil in the Middle East, in particular "Israel's bombing of Palestine". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. You'll need photo ID to vote at a polling station at the Local Elections on Thursday 4 May The next leader was then Yvonne Davies, who won a narrow leadership election in May 2019. Councillor Steve Trow, Sandwell. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. More corruption? A leaked report also alleges Mahboob Hussain tipped off his son about the upcoming sale of a Sandwell Council property. Councillor Steve Melia was filmed during the altercation with a blogger. "I have friends in the Jewish community, the Sikh community, the Hindu community, every community. I have built a family and [a] successful business here.". Something went wrong, please try again later. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Rowley (two seats): Claire Mayo/Nagi Daya Singh. He is the first Conservative councillor to speak out publicly against Mr Jones. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. Councillor Giles defended her record and said she did her casework "through council officers". In a statement, Mr Kalari confirmed he had been cleared of any wrongdoing and thanked friends and family for support. She added that the council faced two choices "a return to the white, male old guard who pay lip service to equality or Black Lives Matter, but will seek ultimately to preserve their own power base" or embracing a new future of "transparency, integrity and fighting against prejudice". A Conservative councillor has been suspended over a series of abusive social media posts aimed at deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner among others. Sandwell council said it had found one case and the infected person and their contacts were already self-isolating before it was confirmed. Mr Eling said he has been given no details of the complaint against him. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Ward: St. Paul's Party: Labour Party Shaheen Akhtar. A councillor allegedly recorded using racially abusive terms about a colleague has been suspended from the Labour Party, the BBC understands. "There's a lot of infighting in the national party and to put it bluntly I'm a casualty of war," Councillor Underhill said. A parallel police investigation ended in March with no further action. He also chaired a taskforce looking at the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities set up by Birmingham MP Liam Byrne, Labour's candidate for West Midlands Mayor. Councillor Joanne Hadley claimed the recording had been altered, An email from the local Labour Party chair to all Sandwell councillors said two had been suspended. "Maybe it is because I am a woman, possibly as its because I'm a strong woman," she said. 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The . Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. Political Editor for the Express & Star. 2023 BBC. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. It detailed a further two councillors had been placed under investigation, but it is not clear what for. Have I given you permission to film?". On Monday, an official email purported to be from the Conservative party confirmed Mr Kalaris membership was fully restored after a five-month investigation. Councillor Edwards, who in 2019 was the subject of a formal complaint over claims he had posted anti-Semitic tweets, was the council's longest serving member having been first elected in 1978. Mr Hussain, now suspended by Labour, has previously denied any wrongdoing. follows that of councillors Joanne Hadley, who is cabinet member for safer communities, and fellow Tipton Green councillor Ian Jones. Coronation a chance to relive history as people in region remember Queens crowning moment, Latest food hygiene ratings across the Black Country and Staffordshire - with two given zero, Only essential mowing to take place in four Birmingham wards for councils pilot project, Sister sprayed brother with chili and vinegar concoction in long-running family feud, Grass won't be mowed for a month in four Birmingham neighbourhoods, Negotiations underway to secure new police base in north of Dudley borough, Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. While an official statement was not issued, a spokesperson for Sandwell council told the LDRS: "We have been made aware of the matter and will be discussing the matter with the member in question. The council was said to be "insular and siloed" but improvements were also highlighted. Read about our approach to external linking. 4. Princes End: Gulshan Tabassum *standing in Wednesbury South and replaced by Susan Eaves. A council leader has accused colleagues of racism, deceit and corruption as she resigned after being suspended over alleged anti-Semitic tweets. I haven't made the decision to go in there, it was the Labour Party. Ward: Newton Party: Labour Party Peter Allen 2023 BBC. The run up to the 2019 elections in Sandwell was marked by allegations that Labours national office had interfered in candidate selections, amid claims that allies of then West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson had been dumped in favour of Corbynites. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. By 2014, all but two of Sandwell's 72 councillors were Labour members. Senior reporter at the Express & Star. Published on 20th March 2023. She added: "She [Councillor Underhill] doesn't know the whole story. A Sandwell councillor has been suspended from the Labour Party after an alleged assault against a blogger. Satpal Singh, a former Conservative councillor for the Rowley ward, alleged Mr Jones had belittled non-white Conservative candidates and members contesting the May local elections in the hope they would leave the party. He said councillors Underhill, Downing and Davies were all "incredibly hardworking in their wards". More corruption? It is not yet clear why Councillor Hussain has been suspended. Councillor Joanne Hadley, cabinet member for safer communities who represents Great Bridge ward, has been suspended following allegations of racism, the Express & Star understands. It is understood that one new candidate, Hezera Zehora, has already dropped out in Wednesbury South. Meanwhile Labour Party member and a Sandwell businessman Basharat Khan has also been suspended over social media posts. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you.

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