Retiring Willenhall councillor 'thankful of support' after husband's child sex scandal

Diane Coughlan said she was looking forward to living a quiet life and spending more time with her family as she announced her retirement from Walsall Council at a meeting on Monday.

She said she was proud of her work as a councillor for Willenhall South, where she was born and bred, since first being elected in 2010.

But Councillor Coughlan also thanked people in the area as well as her Labour colleagues and Conservative Walsall Council leader Mike Bird for supporting her following shocking revelations about her husband Sean.

Ex-council boss Coughlan, aged 65, was handed an 18-month community order and made subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order after admitting two child sex offences, which came to light after he was caught in a paedophile sting operation in December last year.

At a Wolverhampton Crown Court hearing in March, Judge Michael Chambers said she had submitted a character reference in support of her husband but later confirmed she was not sticking by him and they were no longer a couple.

Diane Coughlan was first elected in May 2010 and was a cabinet member on several occasions with the responsibility for the social care portfolio. She also served on health boards and scrutiny committees.

At the full council meeting, she said: “After arranging my life around the Walsall Council calendar for the last 26 years and with what has happened recently, I have decided to retire and live a quiet life.

“I want to be able to spend more time with family and friends and go out where and when I want to without having to check the council calendar. I know that’s something we all have to do.

“Being a good councillor is hard work. It takes commitment and can take over your life but it can be so rewarding and I’ve been so lucky to have had this experience.

“I’m not normally one to sing my own praises and I hate interviews because of that reason but on this occasion I’m going to.

“I know when I was first elected some people thought I was only in place because I was married to another councillor. Well, I soon shook off that tag and achieved a reputation of my own.

“I know I’ve been a good hard working councillor, always accessible to residents and ready to do all that I could to help them. I know I’ve made a difference to the lives of the people in Willenhall South.

“When Labour was in control of the council I was able to push through policies that would make a difference some of our most vulnerable residents such as the Night Shelter, Housing First project, council tax exemption for care leavers and free burial fees for under 18s.

“But that’s enough about me. Of all the issues us councillors deal with and deliver, nothing can be achieved without the brilliant officers of this council who do all the work behind the scenes.

“When I was first elected I was a benefits officer at a neighbouring borough so I was a councillor and officer at the same time.

“I’ve been able to build a professional relationship with officers and with mutual respect on both sides. We have some great officers and they all deserve our respect. I want to thank each and everyone of them.

“I want to thank my colleagues on the Labour benches, some not here any more, who helped me in those early years and more recently for the support they have given me and Aftab for his support over the last three years.

“I also want to thank the Leader of the council Mike Bird who was the first councillor to contact me with his support back in December and I did have to call on that support.

“The biggest thanks of all are to the people that really matter, the people we are here to serve and they are the people of Willenhall South who have put their faith in me for the last 12 years by voting for me on three occasions and most recently the support they have given me.

“I will be forever in their debt. To all the new incumbents in May, a word of advice. Never promise what you can’t deliver, never forget why you are here.

“You are here to represent the people who voted for you and you are here to make a difference to the lives of the residents of Walsall and you will need to hit the ground running so good luck.”

Well wishes and tributes were also paid to councillors Stephen Craddock, Ian Robertson, Mohammed Nazir, Oliver Butler and Bal Chatta who are not standing again in the local election next month.