Party hit by three losses in one week
A THIRD Labour councillor has left the local party in just over a week.
While the party remains the largest on Swansea Council, it seems to be in crisis.
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Councillor Mair Gibbs.
Last week Clydach councillor Roger Smith and Gorseinon councillor Glyn Seabourne stepped down, leaving the party with 28 members.
However, that number has fallen once again, after Bonymaen councillor Mair Gibbs resigned the party whip.
Yesterday morning, the council's chief executive Paul Smith circulated an email to all councillors and leading council officers stating: "Councillor Mair Gibbs has informed me that she has resigned the whip of the Swansea Labour Group and will sit as a non-aligned member of the council."
Councillor Gibbs was unavailable for comment yesterday.
The number of Labour members on Swansea Council is now less than half the number at its inception 13 years ago.
At the first election for the newly- formed City and County of Swansea, 57 members were elected as Labour councillors.
Traditionally the strongest party in Swansea, the Labour Party long held control of the authority, as well as the Westminster and Assembly seats.
However, while Swansea's AMs and MPs are all Labour politicians, the party lost control of the council in 2004, in what was seen at the time as a shock result.
Last year the party failed to regain control of the council, winning 30 seats.
Deputy Labour leader, Councillor June Burtonshaw said: "This is a private matter for Mair Gibbs.
"However, we are not aware of any policy differences that would have led her or the other group members to leave.
"What is certain is that there is no crisis in the Labour group, which remains united under the leadership of David Phillips.
She added: "Swansea Labour, under David's leadership, is undoubtedly an effective opposition and, despite these distractions, will remain focussed on holding the incompetent and failing Lib-Dem led administration to account."







46 Comments
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by Councillor Kevin Edwards, South Wales
Thursday, August 13 2009, 10:03PM
“James Sheridan
Are you infatuated with me ?
You naughty boy.
You are a funny chap,
Why don't you try suing the BNP then? You could start off at £250k. Could well be another good scam but you would end up with nothing.
I dearly hope that you are not suffering from the " Jeremy Thorpe loves Norman Scott " Syndrome with me.
Perhaps you are afflicted with the " Mark Oaten " syndrome who only wanted rent boys when he realised he was losing his hair.Sorry I am not gay and I am not a rent boy !
Is your dyed rug still on top of your head ?
Maybe you could find a Liberal Democrat Councillor who enjoys dressing up in ladies clothing who goes abroad twice a year to enjoy his fetish beyond prying eyes ! Don't tell his wife though.
Anyway as I have previously said you are a funny guy.
I haven't laughed so much for a long time.
When a political opponent chooses to perpetrate personal attacks it only reiterates the fact that their own political arguements are weak and very very suspect.
Until next time no doubt.
Regards
Kevin
PS
Can I have your autograph please ?”
by James Sheridan, Swansea
Thursday, August 13 2009, 8:44PM
“Re: Councillor Kevin Edwards, South Wales
It is ewe, sorry, you, who is a 'real card'! A Joker in fact! Now, I wonder why you are seperated from your wife!? She clearly saw the light of day!
The Leeches I encountered all them years ago, were nothing compared to the 'Parasites' that is the BNP!
The BNP has at least shown its true face and it is an 'ugly face', which reminds me, I have seen your photo on the BNP website! Were you wearing Dypers at the time!?
Perhaps you can explain the past 'actions' of some of your Party buddies, the BNP 'luvies', below,
"Luke Smith (Burnley). Smith was forced to resign after he smashed a bottle into the face of a Leeds BNP organiser. Despite claiming to be the party of law and order, the BNP failed to call in the police and press charges. When Smith was chosen as a BNP candidate he had only recently been convicted of football violence. He has had several more convictions and was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment after being caught fighting in Manchester.
Brian Turner (Burnley). In 2005 Turner was convicted of assaulting his wife and a woman police officer while a councillor, and ordered to do 100 hours community service, yet the BNP refused to disown him. On the contrary, the BNP defended him by issuing a statement saying: 'we are not in the business of persecuting our members because the state considers someone guilty'. In 2006 he was convicted for racially abusing a group of Asian men, but ignored calls to resign. He has also been banned from every football ground in the country.
Dan Kelley (Barking and Dagenham). Kelley resigned from the council only eight months after being elected after admitting that he was completely out of his depth. 'There's meetings that go right over my head and there's little point in me being there', he told the local paper.
Richard Mulhall (Calderdale). Mulhall was found guilty of benefit fraud in October 2006, including against the council on which he is BNP group leader, and sentenced to 200 hours community service. Although 97 per cent of people in a local newspaper poll demanded his resignation, he remains in place. During his trial he declared: 'I would not class myself as an intelligent person'. He was previously heavily involved in the neo-Nazi terror group Combat 18.
Robin Evans (Blackburn). Evans left the BNP after complaining about the drug dealers and football hooligans who dominated his local BNP branch. He also criticised the Burnley BNP councillors as useless. He had previously admitted that council business was 'mumbo jumbo' to him. After leaving the BNP he remained on the council describing himself as a 'National Socialist' (in short, a Nazi) until he lost his seat in 2004.
David Watkins (Sandwell). Dubbed 'possibly the worst councillor in Sandwell', Watkins attended just 10 out of 63 meetings. He gave up being a councillor after just one year.
Julian Leppert (Redbridge). In January 2007 Leppert attended a conference in London where he sat through anti-Jewish tirades from a close confidante of the Holocaust denier David Irving and from one of the leaders of the Islamic Party of Britain. Also present were the Epping Forest BNP councillors Sue Clapp and Peter Turpin.
Rodney Law (Epping). His trade union, the RMT, threw him out for threatening the General Secretary during the 2006 local election campaign. As a councillor he spends his time scaremongering about crime committed by 'inner city youths'. In fact, residents of the three BNP wards are responsible for most of the crime in the area. He also attended the London anti-Semitic conference in January 2007".
What a 'shower'! Perhaps the BNP should be renamed, 'Hoodlums are us'! The 'real truth' must hurt, does it, Councillor Edwards!?”
by Councillor Kevin Edwards, South Wales
Thursday, August 13 2009, 7:43PM
“James Sheridan.
You are obviously a "Crank" and you make me laugh.
You are really funny !
You can keep the personal attacks going if you wish and I will keep laughing.
God knows another " Failed Political Incompetent " will always take the pressure off Gordon Brown and the two "Cabbage Patch Dolls " David Cameron and Nick Clegg,
What sort of man are you ?
Student sues college after being attacked by blood-sucking leeches on academic jungle trek.
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-492038/Student-sues-college-attacked-blood-sucking-leeches-academic-jungle-trek.html#ixzz0O5nvpcGI
What was that all about. God it's funny ! Why didn't you just say "NO" or leave ?
I hope you don't mind but I will be forwarding this onto a lot of my friends with a sense of humour who could do with a good laugh.
Being attacked by " Blood Sucking Leeches " I thought was a result of people voting for the Labour,Conservative and Liberal Parties and watching them fill their pockets with tax payers money on expenses.
You really are a card ! You are so funny.
Regards
Kevin”
by James Sheridan, Swansea
Thursday, August 13 2009, 5:21PM
“Re:Councillor Kevin Edwards, South Wales
Well said, Nye_Zwerk, Flemland, I agree with every word!
Councillor Edwards,"Sticks and Stones....", is what some of your 'Comrades' have used to intimidate others!
As for the 'truth', the BNP doesn't know the meaning of the word! Do you deny the Holocaust existed, like your Fuhrer, sorry leader, Nick Griffin (and other such 'deniers') in the BNP!? Your own shambolic, Election leaflet, has proven to have little evidence of facts, only your own interpretations, which I have refered to in earlier comments!
As for asking Paul and myself to, "...respectfully request that you both grow up", is a bit rich coming from someone like yourself, who still thinks he is
7 years old and hoping to be a Panzer Tank Driver when he grows up!
Sad!? As you are a BNP Member, you are the sad one and as you are such a 'high profile' BNP figure in South Wales, you wonder why you can't get a 'job'! However, you are listed as having a job as an 'Area Sales Manager' on the BNP website, but you say you are now unemployed, are you incaplable of updating your web profile!?”
by Nye_Zwerk, Flemland
Wednesday, August 12 2009, 6:12PM
“Ja, Herr Edwards. Watchet auf, ruft uns die stimme und reichtum ist geschmackssache. Nicht!”
by Councillor Kevin Edwards, South Wales
Tuesday, August 11 2009, 10:46PM
“James Sheridan/Paul West Cross.
You are both rather sad people.
Why do you dispute the truth ?
Sticks and Stones once again etc.
May I respectfully request that you both grow up.
I have given you the evidence perhaps you should search further off your own backs or are you both incapable of doing so.
Maybe you both are afraid of what you might find.
Whether you agree with my parties policies or not does not bother me one little bit.
Personal insults also do not bother me one bit.
It is my right to inform you of the truth.
Whether you want to believe it is up to you.
Mike Landore.
Thank you.
Unfortunately I am in a position where I probably do spend too much time on the internet.
Sadly like hundreds of thousands of Brits after 28 years of steady employment I am unfortunately out of work.
I have applied for over 400 positions and have had two interviews in the last 3 months
This is the state of the British Economy today.
Wake up this is Britain today.
The truth hurts doesn't it.
Regards
Kevin”
by roy adams, swansea
Tuesday, August 11 2009, 9:45PM
“These three councillors have a very important duty, not only to the wards they represent,they also have a duty to the Swansea public who after all actually pay towards their salaries and expenses, these terms of no comment and not available is just not a good enough excuse.We the public deserve an explaination as to Why they have decided to relinguish their position in a party, they undertook to represent.”
by Paul, West Cross
Tuesday, August 11 2009, 7:29PM
“ke0votes.
I forgot to let you know that, when you run out of Carole Malone quotes, you can copy and paste some of Glenda Slagg's stuff!”
by James Sheridan, Swansea
Tuesday, August 11 2009, 7:22PM
“Re:Paul, West Cross
Well said again, Paul!
At least we now know that the BNP might be taking some of bed spaces at the revamped Cefn Coed, for some of its Members, if the 'views' of the likes of Councillor Kevin Edwards are atypical of its Membership!”
by James Sheridan, Swansea
Tuesday, August 11 2009, 5:57PM
“Re: Councillor Kevin Edwards, South Wales
Firstly, the Daily Mail article about homosexuality, only refers to the UK and not specifically to Wales, as you have stated in your Election leaflet! You must do better!
Secondly, the News of the World article was written, if you look at the context, in a comic fashion! The writer was appealing to a specific type of reader! There was no actual reference to an actual case! The writer, was on the BNP Bandwagon to gain sales for her Newspaper! The News of the world is hardly the most revered publications is it!? If this is the type of 'evidence' you are relying on to support your 'cause', then you are on sticky ground, Councillor Edwards!
In fact, I am in no doubt, that it is irresponsible journalists (and editors!), the BNP and others, that have helped growing the myth of the UK Benefits system being so good, that it has helped swell the number of Illegal Immigrants who attempt to come here!
Apaparently, thirdly, the 'story' about the Soldier in a Birmingham hospital, as I understand, was disproven some time ago! So, once again, Councillor Edwards, your 'evidence', is at best questionable but at worst, inaccurrate!”