Whether Alan Cox is trying to create a smokescreen to conceal his failings as a councillor or whether he is simply using the media to try and justify his defection from the Labour Party remains to be seen. Either way, I'm quite sure that residents in the Blackhall ward would much rather hear from Alan Cox about how he proposes to steer our communities through the current economic crisis rather than see him bemoan his fate in public.
However, in the interests of balance, I have published below, in full, the Blackhall Labour Party's response to Alan Cox's claims:
As Alan Cox
is no longer one of its members Blackhall Labour Party (BLP) has no interest in
allegations made about his personal conduct or background. Members of the
public will draw their own conclusions about his alleged behaviour and about the
source of the letters he claims were sent to him and this will be an issue for
Alan Cox to resolve.
Regarding
Alan Cox’s stated reason for leaving the Labour Party, the BLP can
confirm that he certainly intended standing as a Labour Party candidate and
continued to attend branch meetings until a matter of days before the branch
met to select its candidates for next year’s local government election.
Given that Alan Cox was subsequently rejected as a candidate by branch members, the BLP finds his sudden defection from the Labour Party somewhat convenient. Clearly he realised that his time was up and he jumped before he was pushed.
Given that Alan Cox was subsequently rejected as a candidate by branch members, the BLP finds his sudden defection from the Labour Party somewhat convenient. Clearly he realised that his time was up and he jumped before he was pushed.
Regarding Alan Cox’s plea that he just wants to “carry on representing his
constituents in the best way possible” the BLP would draw constituents’ attention
to his apalling record in local government
since the last election in 2008. Throughout this time he rarely attended either
Labour Group or committee meetings and on those occasions he chose to attend he seldom stayed for longer than a few minutes. Records will confirm that Alan Cox
never once spoke at a Labour Group meeting within this four year period. By way
of example, during the high profile local campaign to save Glendale House care
home in Blackhall, Alan Cox failed to attend a single meeting to voice concerns or make representations on behalf of constituents. Similarly he didn't bother to attend any meetings during the successful campaign within the Labour Group to save our local libraries.
Alan Cox has consistently proved himself incapable of representing his constituents as part of a well organised and influential Labour Group so it is inconceivable that he would have any influence or positive impact standing voiceless and in isolation as an independent.
Alan Cox has consistently proved himself incapable of representing his constituents as part of a well organised and influential Labour Group so it is inconceivable that he would have any influence or positive impact standing voiceless and in isolation as an independent.
The electors
within the Blackhall ward are not fools and will not be duped by Alan Cox into
believing that he has turned his back on the Labour Party for either political
or personal reasons. He realised that he had no support and no future in the Labour Party as it became clear that he was way out of his
depth as a member of the new unitary county council. This was recognised by
the members of his own branch. Their subsequent rejection of him as a
councillor and candidate has led him, in desperation, to seek another route
into a role to which he is clearly unsuited.
