A Bolton Labour councillor who quit the party during a council meeting says ‘backbenchers are treated as voting fodder’ by local leaders.
Coun Shamim Abdullah, who has represented the Rumworth ward in central Bolton since 2016, claims key decisions are made ‘without consultation’ with ward councillors.
Her resignation came after a disagreement with the opposition group’s leaders about plans for a new secondary school in the Rumworth area which could be built at Haslam Park.
On Thursday, Labour leader Nick Peel said Coun Abdullah had been ‘included in all discussions about our plans to save the park and never indicated that she was against them’.
He added that ‘the Labour group is actually in a more cohesive and united position that it has been in for a long time’.
Coun Abdullah’s resignation was revealed to shocked members by Conservative leader Martyn Cox during the annual council budget debate on Wednesday evening.
In a statement sent to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Coun Abdullah, said: “I can confirm that as of Wednesday evening I resigned as a councillor of Bolton Labour group.
“I communicated my decision to the borough solicitor, the leader of the council and the chief whip of the Bolton Labour group.
“There are a number of reasons why I felt compelled to leave but my main reason for doing so is the manner in which decisions are consistently made by the Labour leadership without consultation with the ward councillors on key decisions affecting their ward.
“There is little democracy when backbenchers are treated as voting fodder for the leadership group.
“Contrary to what Coun Nick Peel has stated, I can confirm that the Rumworth councillors and Labour group members were not consulted on the final wording of the budget amendment or key decisions, including communications with the media, relating to the Haslam Park School development.
“The Labour Group met on February 7 to discuss the budget amendment.
“What was actually submitted by Coun Peel to full council was not discussed.
“The Rumworth councillors have worked tirelessly with council officers on the issue of the location of the Kings Academy School and have tried to identify suitable alternative brownfield sites, including the option of expanding existing school sites, but we were not consulted on the alternative sites proposed in the Labour budget amendment.
“Decisions are consistently made in this manner by the Labour leadership.
“I can no longer support this kind of arbitrary decision making when it has a negative impact on the residents of Bolton.
“I will be continuing my role to serve the residents of Rumworth as an Independent councillor.
“Since my resignation from the Labour group, I have been contacted by a number of residents and fellow councillors of different political persuasions, including Labour, who have extended their support to me.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank these councillors and residents for their kind words and support.”
Labour leader Nick Peel has hit back at Coun Abdullah's allegations.
He said: "The statement issued by Coun Abdullah is devoid of any truth.
"She was fully consulted over our proposals to save Haslam Park, and made no objections at the time.
"She was present at the group meeting that finalised our final plan for the park and made no contribution to the discussion, despite me having a phone conversation with her just hours before.
“It speaks volumes that her statement is silent on whether or not she actually agreed with our proposals to save the park, so it’s now become quite obvious that her reason for leaving is that she did not agree with those proposals, but that is now an issue between her and her constituents. “
“The Labour group is actually in a more cohesive and united position that it has been in for a long time.
“In politics, I recognise that there is a long game to play, so in the short term a resignation may look bad, but in the long term we will only become stronger.”
