Wyre Forest Tories issue statement amid reports of member expulsion bid

1:47pm Tuesday 25th September 2012 in News

No response: Stephen Clee. No response: Stephen Clee.

WYRE Forest Conservatives have issued a statement amid reports the district council’s chairman is set to be expelled from the party.

It has been claimed a vote was taken last Friday by an executive committee of Wyre Forest Conservative Association to expel Stephen Clee , who represents Bewdley and Arley on the authority and is the council chairman.

It is understood Mr Clee has 14 days in which to appeal against the decision.

Despite repeated attempts by The Shuttle since last Friday to speak to Mr Clee about the matter he has not returned the newspaper’s calls.

The local party’s statement on the affair said: “This is an internal party matter. The Conservative Party has rigorous internal procedures for all our members including a right of appeal. It would be inappropriate for Wyre Forest Conservative Association to comment until all those procedures are concluded.”

The Labour Group Leader on the district council, Jamie Shaw, said: “We note the announcement of councillor Clee’s expulsion. This is purely an internal matter for the Conservative Party and we do not have any other comment to make at this time.”

Mr Clee is also a Worcestershire county councillor, representing Chaddesley.

 

Comments(25)

Red Flag Dan says...
2:08pm Tue 25 Sep 12

I note that your sister paper (Worcester News) appears more prepared to print details about this story:

http://www.worcester
news.co.uk/news/9947
523.Tory_councillors
_vote_to_expel_colle
ague/

Such a shame when local newspapers are more prepared to cut and paste late press release (submitted after print deadline?) than to actually go outside and find the news.

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Gobby Robby says...
2:24pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Rejoice! Ring the churchbells! John Campion - all is forgiven!
I'd say the concerted internet effort by moral minded Wyre Foresters to highlight Stephen's ample deficiencies as a Councillor helped in making the local Conservative group see sense. Well done all :-) :-)

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Red Flag Dan says...
2:45pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Trouble is Gobby, it looks like the Tories will let him keep the Tory whip on both councils - even though he may have been expelled from the party!

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jon cooper says...
2:58pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Councillor Phillips stepping down from his Cabinet post, and now this litle curio; it makes one wonder what really is going on within the ranks of the local Conservatives.

What makes this expulsion even more bizarre is the fact that these very same Conservatives unanimously voted Councillor Clee a unique second term as Wyre Forest Chairman only four months ago !

For the Conservatives to state that this issue is an internal party matter is totally wrong: As Councillor Clee is a democratically elected Councillor AND current Chair; then we the voters deserve to know the real truths - NOT JUST RUMOUR !

I actually think that this day will prove to be a significant day in the future demise of the current crop of local Conservatives !

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Gobby Robby says...
3:02pm Tue 25 Sep 12

It's been said that Stephen knows 'where the bodies are buried' hence his ability to hang on despite all the controversy he courts. What will happen now? Will he go rogue & spill the beans on other Councillors? Will him keeping the whip reign him in (no pun intended)? Will other Cllrs now feel free to expose Stephen for past misdemeaners? It's all getting hot again in Wyre Forest.

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jd bailey says...
3:14pm Tue 25 Sep 12

How times do change Mr Clee, when i was a Postman about 20 years ago your presence in the letters column of the Shuttle was every week,griping about the Postmen and the Postal Service, now when they want to speak to you you appear to vanish into obscurity with no trace, Karma me thinks. Another self indulgent political puppet exposed for what they really are. Good riddance to bad rubbish.....

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Gobby Robby says...
3:18pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Insulting our hardworking trusty postmen? Another crime on the list for Clee, I think the floodgates may open now ;-)

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Gobby Robby says...
3:18pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Insulting our hardworking trusty postmen? Another crime on the list for Clee, I think the floodgates may open now ;-)

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emjaypee says...
3:21pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Don't get too excited folks, the opposition party members have still got to convince the voters in WF to vote for them in large enough numbers to change the current administration at the next round of elections. Something they have failed to do in the recent past, more is the pity. And since it is County elections next May then we have to wait 2 years.

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kidderlord says...
4:29pm Tue 25 Sep 12

In the not too distant past theTory party expelled two other members - Councillor's Mumshad Ahmed and Sue Meekings. As I recall, their expulsion was announce immediately by the Tories, and no 14 day appeal/cooling off period allowed. Both were also thrown out of the Tory groups on Wyre Forest and county council. Why then has this man been treated differently? The public have a right to know his missdemeaners so that they can judge whether his is unfit to stand in public office, especially as Chairman of the local party.

Regarding Howard Martin speaking out, then I for one am glad that another local politician is speaking out, rather than the planned dignified silence planned by Labour, as we as the electorate have a right to know what the opinion is within the council.

His sackings supposed to be about leaflets - rubbish that is one thing Clee has been good at walking the streets. It is not too long ago that he was reprimanded for making false expenses claims at County Hall and walked away with a slapped wrist, so do not treat us like idiots Campion and make out he has been sacked for something so trivial.
Also i believe that if he has been suspended he should be suspended from his role of Chairman until the 14 days is over, and if he is finally expelled then he should be dismissed as chairman. This council is becoming a laughing stock throughout the country and the chief executive and legal officers should hold their heads in shame.

I have copied this from another link re Julian Philips resigning but is relevant to thois one.

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Jon D says...
5:33pm Tue 25 Sep 12

Great news for Wyre Forest ;-)

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kidderlord says...
7:00pm Tue 25 Sep 12

SADLY HE HAS NOT GONE YET SO NO SAVINGS AT ALL it seems his cronies are trying to keep him on at both local auhorities and the Fire Authority

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FranOb says...
8:31pm Tue 25 Sep 12

He is no longer on the Fire Authority.

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Frank Owen says...
9:08pm Tue 25 Sep 12

So, even if he is kicked out, the Tories at County Hall fully intend to support and include him in their number?

How does that work then?

What a great day for democracy that would be.

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kidderlord says...
9:24pm Tue 25 Sep 12

@franb i thought not but he is shown as v chair still on the fire authority site

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Poppasmurf says...
9:45am Wed 26 Sep 12

Interesting. Six months ago, I personally asked Cllr Clee for some information regarding Housing for my son, as he was on the board of the Housing Association. I'm still waiting for his answer. He's not the first Conservative Councillor in Wyre Forest I've come across who doesn't come back with answers.

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John Herbert Smith says...
5:57pm Wed 26 Sep 12

Good - at last! But can someone please post on this website what is going on. Use an anon account if necessary. The people of Bewdley deserve to know.

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telford7 says...
12:23pm Thu 27 Sep 12

I think Stephen Clee's treatment has been shabby.

When the Conservatives were unpopular a few years ago, Stephen kept the Conservative flame burning in Wyre Forest. Now it looks like he being ditched by the johnny-come-latelys who were nowhere to be seen back then.

The innuendo on this site is disgusting. In Britain, people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Have people forgotten this?

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Boing says...
5:07pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Great news, might consider voting Conservative again.

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Gobby Robby says...
5:14pm Thu 27 Sep 12

@John Herbert - you wanted information so I put some up & the Shuttle has taken it down. This is the problem, the Shuttle tows the Con Party line so it is now actively intervening on their behalf - undemocratically taking down posts that are factually correct. So in response to telford7 i'll put up the piece published in the Shuttle as they can't take that down

http://www.kiddermin
stershuttle.co.uk/ar
chive/2009/10/06/Can
didates'+debate/4666
751.WHY_CAN_T_CLEE_A
ND_THE_CONS_SAY_SORR
Y_/?ref=wfa

This is, one of many many reasons, why Clee's treatment hasn't been shabby. Morally this is past events catching up with him, he should have been ejected, not protected, long ago ;-)
So how long this one stays up...

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John Herbert Smith says...
5:26pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Don't worry, I read it before it was taken down! :-)

I suppose the Shuttle have to be careful otherwise they'll get sued.

Thanks for the info - very interesting!

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kidderlord says...
6:30pm Thu 27 Sep 12

telford7have you read the kidderminster local press over the past few years concerning comments made to residents, colleagues etc by clee and the fact he was sacked by the county from the cabinet and fire authority. your defense of CLEE is admirable but very mis placed.

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John Herbert Smith says...
12:35am Sat 29 Sep 12

I'm shocked at the number of posts that have been axed on this article.

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Gobby Robby says...
10:34am Sat 29 Sep 12

Me too. Stasi like censorship on behalf of the ruling administration.

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Jane Gordon says...
12:06am Wed 3 Oct 12

Wonder when the appeal will be heard ?

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