It’s time for them to know their fate.
That’s the call from Clr David Sheard, leader of Kirklees Council, over two Labour councillors who were suspended last June.
It is almost five months since the Yorkshire branch of the Labour party launched an investigation into Huddersfield councillors Amanda Pinnock and Jean Calvert after their outbursts against the Examiner.
Both lashed out after they were exposed as being at the heart of the so-called “Ratesgate” scandal.
The Examiner revealed that Clr Calvert had repeatedly dragged her heels when paying her council tax over the past five years.
Between 2010/11 and 2015/16 she received a total of eight reminder letters and five court summonses for non-payment.
Clr Pinnock, a housing solicitor, accused the Examiner of being racist when we exposed her payment problems. She was issued four reminders and two summonses for arrears – the second of which was for £977.
The pair, who both represent the Ashbrow ward, were suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation by its National Executive Committee into allegations that they brought the party into disrepute.
But almost five months on it is still a mystery as to what, if any, action has been taken by the party.
A Labour party spokesman told the Examiner on Friday there was no update at the moment.
Clr Sheard, also Labour group leader, said he too had not been given any news, despite being promised it by the end of this week.
“I think it’s been far too long,” he said.
“There’s been lots of other stuff going on, by-elections and the Labour leadership challenge, but it’s been too slow.
“They deserve to know what’s going on.”
Clr Sheard said there was no truth in rumours that Labour had delayed the decision as they needed the duo’s votes to pass the controversial Local Plan earlier this month.
“It’s all been out of my hands,” he said. “It was the regional party that suspended them and it’s their process. I’ve had no input at all.”
While both councillors were suspended by the Labour party they could still perform their duties as councillors.
Clr Calvert this week appeared at the Huddersfield planning sub-committee but sat on her own away from the Labour group.
