‘Arrogant’ Buckley must quit

DEFIED calls to resign . . . Councillor Mike Buckley

Pressure was piled on Saddleworth parish councillor Mike Buckley to resign after his conviction for downloading indecent images of children,

Councillor Arooj Shah, cabinet member for performance and corporate governance, branded his refusal do so “breathtakingly arrogant”.

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams is campaigning for legislation to stop anyone convicted of a sex offence from serving on a local authority.

Councillor Shah said: “Saddleworth Parish Council’s hands are tied, ultimately meaning Councillor Buckley can continue to hold office if he chooses to do so. There’s limited legal recourse to remove him from that position.”

Councillor Shah added that many of her colleagues, including council leader Jean Stretton, shared her view that the law should be changed.

“I don’t think it can be right for anyone convicted of a child sex offence to serve on a local authority or parish council,” she said.

“I find Councillor Buckley’s refusal to resign breathtakingly arrogant. If he cannot see why this does not make him fit to hold public office, then perhaps it would better if he had never held office in the first place.”