WOLVES LABOUR “IN DENIAL” – KINGMAKER HEAP

29-05-2008

The “kingmaker” in Wolverhampton’s new Conservative/Lib Dem alliance has accused senior Labour figures of being “in denial” after losing control of the City Council – and says they might still have been in power if they’d offered his party a realistic partnership deal.

Labour leader Roger Lawrence claimed on The Stirrer yesterday that the Liberal Democrats – who hold the balance of power despite having just five seats – spurned his suggestion of talks in the wake of the elections earlier this month, which left the local authority in No Overall Control.

Lawrence suggested this was because Mike Heap - the Liberal Democrats top man - had already been negotiating in advance with the Conservatives (see link here).

Heap laughed off this suggestion as “absolute rubbish”, and says that he honoured a commitment not to hold any discussions until after he’d met with fellow party members the Tuesday after results were declared.

"Both Labour and the Tories expected us to come to them" he said.

"Our position was that they could come to us because they needed us more than we needed them, and we knew in advance what our key demands were - including a review of youth services, the end of the Red Route, and keeping the street wardens."

In Heap’s account Lawrence and his deputy Peter Bilson were at the Council House while he was there on the Tuesday when the decision was made – but conspicuously snubbed him.

Thus when Conservative leader Neville Patten approached later in the day, it seemed his offer was the only one of the table. 

The Lib Dems were offered a handful of committee and scrutiny positions in return for a say in the budget and as long as they promise not to vote against the Tories on “no confidence” motions.

By the time Lawrence approached at the end of the working day, the deal had been sealed – although even then Heap is doubtful there was much to talk about, with Labour apparently offering only two “observer” positions in Cabinet.

"I think they are in denial about what has happened.  They are walking around in a daze.  I don't think they can quite believe what has happened" he said.

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