Sandwell councillor Yvonne Davies to fight 'spurious' claims

Sandwell councillor Yvonne Davies claims she has been 'victimised' by senior members of the Labour group over the fallout from her bid to lead the party in May 2016.

In recent months Mrs Davies' outspoken views have led to her receiving two written warnings and a verbal warning.

She has been accused of undermining council leader Steve Eling and was thrown out of a group meeting in April.

"There has been a campaign to make false allegations against me by certain members of the group that want me out," she said.

"I am a proud Labour supporter and believe in Labour values, but I will not sit back and be quiet when we are doing things wrong.

"The reasons for my suspension are completely spurious and you can rest assured I will be challenging them."

The allegations against Mrs Davies are detailed in a report from Labour group Chief Whip, Councillor John Edwards.

It says that Mrs Davies was interviewed by whips on August 30 following complaints about her behaviour from Councillor Ann Shakleton and Councillor Carol Goult.

It also says she was given a written warnings in July for a range of issues.

They include 'inappropriate communication with council officers about fellow councillors', sending an email containing 'unfounded allegations' against Labour members of the standards committee, behaving in a 'belligerent, derisive and patronising' manner during interviews, and undermining the group's leader and election process.

The report says that Mrs Davies has been suspended until she meets with the Labour group executive and provides 'acceptable assurances about her future behaviour', and 'guarantees to interact with her colleagues in a comradely and non-belligerent manner'.

Langley councillor Mrs Davies was voted Sandwell's Labour leader in May last year.

However, just days later she lost the position to Councillor Eling after the election was re-run. It followed claims that some members who took part in the initial poll had not paid their subscriptions.

She initially threatened to challenge the result through the courts, but withdrew all legal action against the party in September 2016.

Sandwell's Labour group has been mired in chaos since the death of former leader Darren Cooper in March last year.

The messy leadership election took place around the same time that the council's former deputy leader Mahboob Hussain was suspended from the group in the aftermath of the publication of the Wragge report.

In recent months several Labour councillors have quit the party to serve as independents.