West: Council bust up

Helen Shields
Politics Show West

A bitter two year row between the managing director and the political leaders of a West council has reached a new intensity. Both a judge and an independent investigation came out in favour of the councillors - but voters did not.

Cheltenham Council is involved in a bitter row

Cheltenham has a reputation for being genteel and civilised. But the battle between its top official, Christine Laird, and its top politician, Andrew McKinlay, has been anything but.

There have been court cases, allegations of bullying, claims for damages - and a bill to local council taxpayers of more than £120,000.

MD Christine Laird had only been in the job four months when the Liberal Democrats won control of the council two years ago.

Relations with the ruling cabinet quickly deteriorated.

She alleged harassment, and tried to have Councillor McKinlay barred from going near her office.

For many months she was off on sick leave.

Legal action?

She took him to court; a case seeking an injunction against him was dropped, but another demanding up to £50,000 in damages is ongoing.

Christine Laird has been suspended from her job for two months

Christine Laird lodged dozens of complaints with the Standards Board for England, which monitors the behaviour of councillors.

At the same time she asked a court to stop the council pressing ahead with a disciplinary inquiry.

Ordinary folk are left bemused - and frustrated.

Leading members of the business community complain that Cheltenham is losing out to its neighbours.

Roger Marchant's family has run a transport firm in the town since 1948.

"There is stiff competition from Gloucester which is having major redevelopment in the docks," he says.

"Then there is Worcester up the road which is coming on in leaps and bounds, retail outlets at Swindon and Bristol - all competing for the same market as Cheltenham where nothing seems to be going on."

Councillors know it is harming the town.

Les Godwin, of the independent People Against Bureaucracy group, is not the only member to notice a downbeat mood.

"There has been a disinclination of people, whether they are councillors or people who work for council, to get involved during a period of dispute," he says.

"Years ago everyone worked for a common purpose and common aim.

"Not now, it is a great shame."

Voter reaction

So he was glad that the Standards Board was called in to investigate.

With a week to go before polling day, the verdict came back:

• councillors were cleared on all but one of her 25 complaints
• the other was written off as an inadvertent error.

It did not impress the voters; amid talk of the bill heading towards £200,000 they punished the Lib Dems, who lost three seats and control of the council.

Andrew McKinlay, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

For Andrew McKinlay the loss is more than just political - it has taken a personal toll:

"I had to give up my day job to do my council role effectively, because of the circumstances, and it has been a strain ."

Now no party has overall control, which could leave Cheltenham in more of a mess; but the Conservatives, the second biggest group, are optimistic.

"Damage has been done and it's been unfortunate," says their leader Duncan Smith.

"It is now time for us to act as grown up individuals and stop the silly childish squabbles and to get on with the job in hand."

Impasse?

Shortly after the electorate's verdict, a judge gave his; there were no grounds for an injunction to stop the council taking disciplinary action against Christine Laird.

As she left court, she did not want to be interviewed - but her lawyers promised they would not leave it there.

Hours later Christine Laird was suspended from her job by a special meeting of councillors.

So expect more court cases, more unpleasantness, and more council paralysis.

Cheltenham's impasse is far from over.

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