Controversial former council leader Cliff Morris will not now be granted the title of Honorary Alderman in Bolton next week.
On Wednesday, Bolton council published details explaining that Coun Morris, who led the then Labour council for 11 years until 2018, will become a Honorary Alderman of the borough of Bolton at a full council meeting held on Wednesday, October 6.
Mr Morris, who is 79, represented the ward of Halliwell from 1983 until he stood down from the council prior to the elections held in May this year.
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The move to grant the honour prompted a backlash from some councillors, with some parties opposing the move.
Bolton council said Mr Morris had cited ‘health reasons’ and the honour would not now be bestowed next week.
Farnworth and Kearsley First, who have five members on the council issued a statement slamming the appointment.
The statement, said: “Our party was established in 2017 with a primary mandate to fight back against years of neglect inflicted on our two towns by
a labour led administration led by Clifford Morris for 12 years.
“We can confirm our party and its elected representatives do not support this appointment.”
Between 2003 and 2004 Mr Morris was the Mayor of Bolton and also became the leader of the Labour group in 2004.
An Honorary Alderman is purely an civic title recognising a person’s commitment to the borough.
It originates from the historic aldermen who were generally unelected local people who sat on the council alongside elected councillors.
That was done away with by the Local Government Act 1972 but councils can bestow the title on individuals who have represented the town over a long period of time.
Coun Morris stepped down as leader of Bolton Council on December 31, 2017 with his deputy, Coun Linda Thomas taking over.
In 2019, the council went to no overall control with the Conservatives leading a minority controlled council after reaching agreement with smaller parties.
The latter years of Coun Morris’s time as leader were filled with controversy.
In the weeks prior to him stepping down, he faced calls to resign from members of his own party and key union figures.
The Bolton West Constituency Labour Party passed a vote of no confidence in his leadership, following a dispute over Coun Morris’ support for a fellow councillor at the centre of a town hall tax scandal.
He was also involved in a row over a controversial £300,000 handout to a law firm amid brutal cuts to services Bolton.
In council documents published on Wednesday, the full council were set to ‘confer the title of Honorary Alderman of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton on Mr Clifford Morris’.
However on Thursday afternoon a council spokesman, said: “It is a longstanding and accepted practice for elected members who have served for 20 or more years on the council to be recommended for the title of Honorary Alderman.
“This is a purely ceremonial position which recognises their contribution to civic life in Bolton.
“Former councillor Cliff Morris was due to receive this honour at the next meeting of full council.
“Unfortunately, due to health issues, this has regretfully had to be cancelled.”
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