A ROW over a by-election took a new twist this week when it was revealed that an election leaflet is under investigation.
Last week, The Wokingham Paper exclusively revealed that the poll for Emmbrook North is taking place after its sitting councillor missed meetings due to ill-health. Wokingham Town Council’s Conservative group also missed a deadline for filing necessary paperwork that could have kept the councillor on the council.
As a result, they requested that the other political groups agree to co-opt Sanjay Odedra back on to the town council. However, despite both the independent councillors and the Liberal Democrats agreeing with this, 10 people in the ward called for the by-election to be held.
It will now take place on Thursday, February 4, and so far three candidates have been named – for Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.
BY-ELECTION FOR EMMBROOK NORTH CALLED
However, a leaflet released by Wokingham Conservatives and seen by The Wokingham Paper has caused concerns for the other parties and the Liberal Democrats have made a formal complaint to Wokingham Borough Council’s election department. Now, the Conservatives are promising to correct it.
In a letter published in today’s edition of The Wokingham Paper, Lib Dem chairman Steven Newtown, said: “I want to make it absolutely clear that neither Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey or any member of the Liberal Democrat Party has gone back on the commitment not to call a by-election, despite what has been written and said on the doorsteps to the contrary.
“I hereby challenge the local Conservative Party to stop misleading the electorate into believing that the Lib Dems refused to allow Mr Odedra to be co-opted. We have made a formal complaint about the appalling behaviour of the Conservatives in conducting this untrue smear campaign.”
Conservative councillor UllaKarin Clark told The Wokingham Paper: “There has been a misunderstanding in relation to the reasons the Emmbrook by-election was called.
“We shall be issuing a clarification to every household in the town ward and apologise for any confusion caused.”
Cllr Shepherd DuBey added in a comment on our website that even if they had opposed the co-option, they would have been outvoted by the mainly Conservative town council.
She said: “When it comes to voting for a co-option, I am not sure how anyone might think that three councillors might have that kind of power over the majority of 21 Conservative Councillors!”
A Wokingham Borough Council spokesperson told The Wokingham Paper: “We have received a complaint regarding the Wokingham Town Council by-election for Emmbrook North and, as the administrating authority for the election, we are currently looking into it.”
One of the 10 people in Emmbrook North who called for the by-election has also written to The Wokingham Paper explaining his reasons for calling the poll. He said: “I, and the others who signed to request a by-election in Emmbrook North did so because we felt that it was not for the councillors of other wards to decide amongst themselves who represented Emmbrook North following the councillor failing in his obligations.” You can read his full letter in this week’s Wokingham Paper, on sale now.
