“NO EXCUSE” FOR BNP IN VOTE ROW

12-03-2007

Political rivals say the BNP will have “no excuse” if one of their councillors voted illegally at last Tuesday's Sandwell Council budget meeting.

As The Stirrer reported first on Friday (check our story here), there have been allegations that one of the far-right party's four elected members was more than two months in arrears with their council tax.

That means it's against the law for them to take part in the budget vote - and anyone found guilty of the offence can be fined, imprisoned and barred from office.

The leader of the BNP on Sandwell Council James Lloyd has even admitted that he might have been more than two months behind with his payments (see the story here).

Labour councillor Darren Cooper, the authority's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said that ignorance is no defence.

“The fact is that every council member who was in arrears was sent a reminder, before the meeting, reminding them of the legal situation.

“Even if they say the didn't get the letter in time, it's part of the councillors' code of conduct, and it's something they are told about at their induction meeting, so there's no excuse.