Rochdale’s Lib Dem leader reacts with fury over claims made against him by the Labour leader of the council

The leader of the local Liberal Democrat party has reacted with fury over claims made against him by the Labour leader of the council.

Councillor Andy Kelly says accusations he ‘seldom attends meetings’ and ‘doesn’t engage with anything’ are an ‘outrageous lie’ for which he is seeking legal advice.

He has demanded the council remove Councillor Allen Brett’s blog entry from its website and apologise for publishing the comments. 

The column - which went live last Friday - was also included in an edition of the Rochdale Observer newspaper.

In it the council leader takes a swipe at Councillor Kelly for his opposition to a mooted Labour policy that would reward those who supply evidence of fly-tipping people with a council tax cut.

After stating ‘it’s easy to oppose everything’ Brett goes on to question his counterpart’s attendance record and lack of ‘engagement’.

However, council minutes record that Councillor Kelly has been to each of the full council meetings held this municipal year as well as all but one of meeting of the scrutiny committee he sits on.

Although he has sent apologies more frequently to the Pennines Township and its related funding sub-committee - he is far from falling foul of the council rule which states members forfeit their place after six months of non-attendance across all meetings.

He has also attended two of the four Milnrow, Newhey and Firgrove area forum meetings held since May.

Councillor Kelly - the Lib Dem candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor - says he is furious about the comments, which he says are demonstrably ‘untrue’.

He said: “How can he say I don’t engage; has he had a mind-f*rt about the last three years of council meetings or something?”

“It’s the most outrageous lie I have ever heard - I bet if you totted up the number of questions asked in full council over the last 10 years I bet there’s nobody who has asked more than me.”

He says he could possibly take legal action against the council, given the column was published on its website.

“It’s just malicious gerrymandering at its best,” said Councillor Kelly.

“It’s libellous to say I seldom turn up to meetings and don’t engage. To say I don’t engage is utter bullsh*t.”

Councillor Brett has often been critical of Councillor Kelly for not attending the leaders’ meetings, to which he and Conservative leader Councillor Ashley Dearnley are invited.

However, Councillor Kelly says these are often held in the day - clashing with his work commitments.

And he adds that Labour attempted to cancel a recent meeting - held to discuss the forthcoming electoral review - with just 15 minutes' notice, despite the fact he had taken time off work to attend.

Labour says this was a mix-up – caused by officers inviting Councillor Kelly without consulting the councillors in charge of the steering group, rather than a premeditated effort to exclude him.

In the event, the Lib Dems and independents were briefed separately from Labour and Conservatives.

But Councillor Kelly says he’s had as much as he can take from the council’s controlling group - and that slurs on his commitment are entirely unjustified.

“I’m at the end of my tether,” he said.

“I have spent all weekend doing casework and proactive community project work. I have probably the dullest private life in the world - basically because I haven’t got one.”

Councillor Brett is sticking by his comments - saying they ‘mainly’ relate to leaders’ meetings and that Councillor Kelly has only attended ‘one-or-two’ of those he has been invited to over the last 12 months.

“In the two-and-a-half years since I’ve been council leader he’s not contacted me once via email. He just tends not to go to meetings, but instead to go to the press or social media.

“Mainly he doesn’t come to leaders’ meetings, although I opened them up to him as leader of the smallest opposition party.

Councillor Brett claims Councillor Kelly would rather ‘go to the press’ or post on social media than come to him with an issue.

He said: “He has never been to see me or sent me an email on any council topic - and that’s the same with our MP (Labour’s Tony Lloyd).”

With reference to Councillor Brett’s comments, a council spokesman said: “We always ensure our communication activity complies with the national code of conduct for local authority publicity and the promotion of the leader’s blog is no different.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter