Inquiry rules veteran Labour stalwart will not stand in May local elections

VETERAN councillor Hugh McDonald has been deselected by the local Labour Party for the forthcoming local elections.

The 72-year-old party stalwart has been at the centre of a 10-month investigation after leaking sensitive safeguarding information.

A Council Standards Board report led to Councillor McDonald apologising for his actions. But an Internal Regional Labour Party inquiry has ruled he will not defend Alexandra ward for the party. Now Councillor McDonald has taken legal advice about his plight and laid a series of hard-hitting allegations at the feet of the party he has served for 55 years.

He believes his actions in giving information to friend and chairman of Positive Steps, Joe Fitzpatrick, were that of a concerned local councillor.

And he is convinced that political correctness and anxieties over high-profile cases such as Rochdale sex abuse convictions and the killing of drummer Lee Rigby have made talking about sensitive issues taboo. He thinks he has been harshly dealt with by his fellow Labour Party officials and added: “I have been done twice. Once by the council and now by the Labour Party. This is not a ‘whistleblower’ issue. I am trying to stop crime.”

The information passed on included references to police investigations that were ongoing at the time. They have since concluded without any charges being brought.

It is unclear whether Councillor McDonald will face further sanction or whether he will be asked to produce evidence to back up claims made in a statement issued via a solicitor. For legal reasons, the Chronicle has been advised not to reprint details of Councillor McDonald’s accusations.

Despite the block on his involvement in the elections, Councillor McDonald remains an individual member of the Labour Party and has not been expelled.

He is understood to be considering standing as an independent.



Serious leak of confidential information



COUNCIL Leader Jim McMahon said: “The statement released by Councillor McDonald is an outrageous attempt to deflect attention from a very serious leak of confidential information to a third party.



“Following the complaints to the council, an independent investigation was carried out which discredited Councillor McDonald’s claims and found that he had breached the council’s code of conduct.

“All elected members on Oldham Council take child protection very seriously.

“The leak of information had the potential to compromise an ongoing police investigation and there are no grounds to claim it was in the public interest.”