Taken from ECHO LETTERS PAGES
Cllr Stewart speaks
MAY I put straight a few misleading statements that have been made since my joining the Liberal Democrats to support Cllr Warren Bradley as leader of the council.
Firstly, I have not been offered a thing in return, nor have I asked for anything. Some have wrongly blamed me for closing care homes and costing workers their jobs. I have done neither; I voted with the Labour group on the issue of the care homes and, along with my fellow ward councillor Phil Moffatt, have asked the Lib Dem group to have another look at retaining the current level of care homes run by the council and the jobs that go with them.
As to why I gave my support to the Liberal Democrat group; firstly the Lib Dems are the largest single group on the council and also took more votes in the elections than any other party. I firmly believe that the largest single party on the council should lead the council, not a number of minority parties.
It would have been easy for me to stay as the only independent councillor on the council and pull the strings of power, but what kind of message would that send out about Liverpool to the outside world, especially at a time when we hold Capital of Culture status and the city is rapidly becoming one of Europe's leading tourist destinations?
My decision, which I believe was the right one, was not made out of bitterness towards my political opponents but because I care about the city of Liverpool and it’s future.
Cllr Nadia Stewart, Liberal Democrat councillor for Croxteth.
AND IN REPLY
May 15 2008 Liverpool Echo
She jumped before....
J O’DONNELL voted for Nadia Stewart he claims, when she was a Labour candidate over two years ago, (ECHO, May 9). He says he supports her decision to prop up a failed administration despite the fact that significantly more people voted Labour, 40% compared to 33% Liberal Democrat.
He also says I have proved I am not the man to lead Liverpool because I said “the Lib-Dems were welcome to her”. Let me be even clearer for you Mr O’Donnell, as Labour Party leader I took the decision to expel Nadia Stewart from the Labour Party because her attendance at meetings was appalling over a two year period and in my view she failed the people of Croxteth who she should have been representing.
The people of Croxteth deserve better and that is why she was being expelled from Labour but jumped before she was pushed.
The fact that her decision alone has closed Leighton Dene and Boaler Street respite/care facilities because Labour would have overturned these savage cuts is a disgrace. But don’t worry, the people of Croxteth will have their say soon when she once again stands for election I look forward to that day.
Cllr Joe Anderson, Liverpool Labour party leader
