Calls for investigation over use of Wakefield Town Hall to hold Labour party disciplinary hearing

Tory and Lib Dem leaders have called for the probe into a meeting which took place at the public building on September 5 this year.

At the meeting, Labour councillors voted in favour of removing the whip from Nadiah Sharp for two months.Councillor Tony Homewood, Wakefield Council’s Conservative Group Leader, and Lib Dem Group Leader Coun Tom Gordon have sent a letter to the authority’s chief executive, Andrew Balchin.

The letter objects to the use of council property to conduct Labour party business.

It also states that the party should pay a “proper commercial rate” for the use of a publicly-owned building.

The joint letter also states: “In this time of financial hardship, when the council has chosen to close some of its older, more inefficient buildings, to save money, it is something of a slap in the face to the Wakefield ratepayers that they are compelled to provide free facilities for the city’s controlling political party.”

“It is claimed that a meeting, held in the Old Courtroom in the Town Hall, on September 5 2022, was a meeting of the elected Labour group and was conducting council-related business.

“In fact, it was a disciplinary hearing against a member of the Labour group, at which Labour party officials were present.

“It is our view that their very presence is the fact which shows that the matter had transcended the boundaries of being council or Labour council group business and, in reality, it had become Labour party business.

“We now request that you conduct a full investigation into this matter in order to ascertain the true nature of this meeting and take the appropriate action should the inquiry find our complaint upheld.”

In the week before the meeting, chief whip Richard Forster contacted Labour councillors to inform them that a “special meeting” had been called.

His letter to elected members stated: “This will be a one item agenda to discuss a disciplinary investigation that I have conducted in relation to two alleged breaches of Labour Party rules by a member of the Labour group.

“The purpose of this meeting will be to provide more details about the nature of the investigation that has taken place, along with my conclusions and recommendations.”

Protesters gathered outside the Town Hall in support of Coun Sharp, councillor for Wrenthorpe and Outwood West, as the meeting took place.

Coun Sharp had been given the opportunity to speak at the hearing but did not attend.

Mr Balchin, said: “We provide meeting rooms free of charge to all political groups represented on the Council for their group business.

“This has been investigated and we can confirm this was a group meeting and therefore was hosted free of charge.”