Hastilow supporter forced out

An independent councillor has been forced to resign from a fledgling alliance on Lichfield District Council after supporting former Conservative Parliamentary candidate Nigel Hastilow.

Councillor John Walker, who was elected in May, resigned after a meeting of the Liberal Democrat and Independent Alliance Group after he issued a statement supporting Mr Hastilow following an article in the Express & Star.

Mr Hastilow, who was dropped as Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, wrote that he thought the controversial politician Enoch Powell had been right about immigration when he delivered his infamous "Rivers of Blood" speech.

Curborough councillor John Walker issued a statement shortly after saying Mr Hastilow had been right to raise the issue.

This incurred the wrath of his fellow independent councillors and the Liberal Democrats who after a meeting asked Councillor Walker to resign from the group.

Councillor Ian Jackson, Leader of the alliance, said: "The recent comments released to the press by Councillor Walker included views that made his continued membership of the group impossible. Councillor Walker issued his statement without any reference to any member of the council group and his colleagues did not wish to be in any way associated with such opinions."

Former Labour councillor and deputy leader of the group, Councillor Paul Atkins, said: "I fully endorse the actions that have been taken. Politics is about representing everybody no matter what race or creed."

Councillor Walker said he was glad to be out of the group. He said: "I have got my virginity as an independent back as well as my common sense. Enoch Powell said that speech 39 years ago and if we are still talking about it now he must have been right.

"I'm not a Conservative but I believe in free speech and I was supporting his right to be able to speak about immigration."

Councillor Walker said the alliance had tried to curb his freedom to speak and said he could offer more opposition to the ruling Tory group by being truly independent.