Gun row councillor 'should seek new vote'
SuppliedThe Labour Party has said a councillor it suspended after he was photographed holding a gun should face a by-election as he has since defected to the Greens.
Tom Bailey, who has been a vocal figure on the River Tyne nurdle spill, announced he was joining the Greens on Monday.
The Tynemouth ward representative was suspended by Labour in August after an image of him holding a replica firearm was shared in a WhatsApp group.
A Labour Party spokesperson declined to say if all councillors who switch parties should face re-election, but said: "Councillor Bailey was elected a Labour councillor and should have the courage of his convictions and call a by-election."
The picture which prompted Bailey's suspension showed him with a replica gun and was shared in a WhatsApp group for volunteers cleaning-up plastic nurdles released in a crash at the Port of Tyne.
A council standards complaint and an internal party investigation followed, while Northumbria Police also looked into the matter and found no offences had occurred.
Bailey quit Labour last month and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he joined the Greens "because our coast deserves better".
The other Greens on the council, Helen Bell and Martin Osborne, said in a joint statement: "Tom has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to standing up for local residents and protecting our coastal environment, particularly over the recent nurdle spill.
"We're looking forward to working together to solve problems and get things done."