Local Liberal Democrat leader John Pugh has criticised Southport Conservatives over “callous’’ and “utterly hypocritical” behaviour regarding criticism of councillors who were unable to attend a key meeting due to personal and health reasons.
Promotional Conservative literature distributed ahead of this year’s local elections list four Liberal Democrat councillors within a graphic under the label “didn’t show up” regarding a full council meeting on 15 July last year where cycle lanes was a topic of discussion.
Cllr Pugh says the four had “serious and compassionate reasons” for not attending, including Cllr John Dodd who was undergoing cancer treatment. The Conservatives have denied they targeted any councillor due to health concerns.
Cllr John Pugh said: “I am neither naïve nor a snowflake when it comes to electioneering but I think cancer is a serious matter to individuals and the millions of families affected by it. It affects councillors and their families too and its impact was being acutely felt at the time of the meeting by some of my colleagues in different but equally traumatic ways.”
“I have endeavoured to privately brief the Conservative council group. Despite all this Conservative literature distributed across town repeatedly insinuates that the absence of four of my Council group at the July Council meeting was due to trivial or political reasons.
“The colleagues who were unable to be there to support my motion for a moratorium or halt to cycle lane expansion were absent for serious and compassionate reasons.
“To ignore that fact is simply not decent human behaviour. For me it has crossed a line”.
“Of those ‘trivial’ absences one was Cllr Dodd, who many across Southport will recognise as a kind-hearted, generous and hard-working local councillor of many years and is now prepared to speak out.
“He was at the time of his absence recovering at home having just had life-saving surgery for prostate cancer. During Covid, he would have been prohibited by medical advice from attending meetings for obvious immunity issues.”
Cllr. Dodd said, “No-one chooses to discuss either health or their family in public but the sheer persistent nastiness of the Conservative attacks upon me and colleagues forces me to set the record straight. Hopefully too, it will increase understanding of what is the most common male cancer.”
Cllr Tony Brough, Leader of Sefton Conservative Group, told OTS News: “At no point have Southport Conservatives targeted any Liberal Democrat or other councillor on the basis of any health concerns. We sincerely hope that Councillor Dodd continues in his recovery and our best wishes go out to him and his family. His bravery and steadfastness are testament to his character.
“We were not aware of any health issues affecting Councillor Dodd or anyone else. So it is difficult to understand how we could have targeted him on that basis, as Councillor Pugh claims.
“We have highlighted important political issues that the public have a right to hear about. This includes matters that may involve Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors.
“We have focused on the issues that matter to Southport residents and businesses and we will continue to do so. The personal circumstances of our colleagues are of concern to us but cannot preclude or overlook actions that are not in the interests of the residents we serve.”
Cllr. Pugh added: “I applaud John’s brave decision to talk about his surgery. I have always believed more openness on this subject helps but I am appalled by the deliberate attempt by Conservatives to try to make political capital out of it.
“The sickening and utterly hypocritical aspect of this is that HALF the Conservative group did not appear at the Council Budget Meeting only this month- the meeting that decides the Council Tax and sets a £300m budget.
“We are charitable enough to assume that they had good and valid reasons. Some will, unfortunately, have known health issues but the response of most decent councillors to that (regardless of party) is to send a get well card not misrepresent it in a leaflet.”
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