Taxi Driver Online

South Ribble Council leader faces axe over taxi row

South Ribble Council’s leader is facing a vote of no-confidence revolt related to a taxi-licensing investigation

Rebel Conservatives say they have grown frustrated with the handling of allegations

A motion has been submitted to the chief executive to remove Coun Smith from her position

Coun Smith says she will not step down and insists she has done nothing wrong

The embattled leader of South Ribble Council is at the centre of a move to oust her.

Coun Paul Wharton, Tory member for Farington, has submitted a motion to remove Coun Margaret Smith from the position. He claims other rebel Conservatives have also signed the motion, after growing concerned at her handing of the taxi licensing scandal.

Coun Wharton said: “The council has been dragged through enough and I’m trying to protect the integrity that’s left. We have to take this news seriously, it’s not a blip like she keeps saying.”

He added: “I was elected to represent the residents of my ward and I will not sit back complacently and allow the leader to further damage the reputation of our council.”

A month ago a secret report into child sexual exploitation by two taxi drivers was leaked to the press. In it the council was criticised for failing to carry out proper background checks. Since then a new probe has been launched into how a cabbie who tied up a disabled boy had his licence renewed.

The council and its leader have been criticised for failing to make the report public.

“I was elected to represent the residents of my ward and I will not sit back complacently and allow the leader to further damage the reputation of our council.”

Coun Paul Wharton

But Coun Smith says that she has done nothing wrong and still enjoys the confidence of the people of South Ribble.

She said: “I have been a councillor for 33 years, I have been a cabinet member, group leader and mayor and the people that come up to me say that they think I am doing a good job. What Councillor Wharton is asking me to do is something I cannot do, as the report [into the taxi licensing issues] will go to the chair of the scrutiny committee, not to me.

“I have done my very best to make sure that we have conducted ourselves as best we can in the circumstances, but there are protocols that must be followed.

“We still have members of staff who are suspended and they deserve a fair hearing.”

The motion has been received by council chief executive Mike Nuttall, who must now decide when a vote will be held on the matter. If a majority vote against Coun Smith, she will be removed from her position with immediate effect.

Coun Wharton’s decision to enter the motion comes after he received a phone call telling him he was suspended from the local Conservative group.

After challenging Coun John Rainsbury – party chief whip – over a lack of formal notification, he said he then received an email saying the matter was being considered by Conservative Party HQ.

Coun Wharton said: “I’m disappointed and upset about it because I’ve worked very hard for my residents and the party. I believe it’s completely personal because I’ve put my head above the trenches.”

Coun Rainsbury said it was a private group issue and all he could say was that Coun Wharton was “fully aware of his position”.

Coun Wharton said the reason he was given for his suspension was that he voted against a cabinet appointment last Wednesday.

In the same meeting three rising stars of the cabinet – brought to inject some youthful energy – departed amid bitter recriminations over the taxi licensing issue.

Two, Michael Green and Caroline Moon, refused to continue – claiming their positions had become “untenable” due to false opposition claims of a cover-up.

The third, Warren Bennett, was removed by Coun Smith just 48 hours after leaving his job as her deputy.

Labour Coun Claire Hamilton supported the motion. She said: “After last Wednesday’s meeting of the council, I felt I had no alternative.

“The Leader simply doesn’t seem to have grasped the enormity of what has happened.”

source: http://www.lep.co.uk/your-lancashire/so ... -1-7927534

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

personally i think the whole council should resign and allow the electorate to decide their fate but that'll never happen so all we can do is stand back and enjoy watching the backbiting and recriminations

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Are you willing to pay the costs of running all those by elections?

_________________
Grandad,

Did you pay for yours ?

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I had to pay for my election campaign. The cost or running elections is paid for by the council tax payer but you are suggesting that all the Councillors on this council should be forced to resign thus costing the council tax payer a lot of money for no real reason.

_________________
Grandad,

the point is to give the electorate chance to vote some competent people onto the council

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

What makes you think there will be any others stand and that they will be more competent than the present people?

_________________
Grandad,

Sometimes money isn't an issue, and the way this council and many councillors have acted is one such issue.

_________________
IDFIMH

AND HOW MANY OF THE ELECTORATE ACTUALLY VOTED IN THE LAST COUNCIL ELECTION ? 20%

AS FOR GRANDAD HE'S A FEKKING DISGRACE GOT ELECTED THE FIRST SIGN OF AGG HE RAN AWAY TYPICAL CAB DRIVER .........GUTLESS !

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

I tend to agree with the loud chap

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

On both statements?
You would be surprised at what we have achieved since my resignation. It is not quite finished yet but my resigning and question at full Council certainly got things moving in the right direction. The Council even called in James Button to give them an opinion on things.

_________________
Grandad,

not on the second part - you resigned out of principle

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

AND HOW MANY OF THE ELECTORATE ACTUALLY VOTED IN THE LAST COUNCIL ELECTION ? 20%

AS FOR GRANDAD HE'S A FEKKING DISGRACE GOT ELECTED THE FIRST SIGN OF AGG HE RAN AWAY TYPICAL CAB DRIVER .........GUTLESS ![/quote]


I tend to agree with the loud chap [/quote]

Torys do not have principles they'er ALL VERMIN

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Torys do not have principles they'er ALL VERMIN

by the law of averages there must be a few with principles and of course communists are never corrupt are they

Russia today the corruption capital of the world nothing to do with the communists of course

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

The only difference between a Conservative and a communist is that one has a capital C the other is a lower case c but they both if given the chance preside as dictators.