Councillor quits Tories as blue-on-blue scrap in Dudley North rumbles on

Mark Westwood, who represents Upper Gornal and Woodsetton, used a council meeting to make allegations of blue-on-blue bullying after he resigned the Conservative group whip.

The meeting also saw Sedgley councillor Michael Evans say he was “totally ashamed” of being a member of Dudley North Conservative Association, which he said had "betrayed" councillors.

It marks the latest in a long-running row among Tory councillors in that part of the borough, which is the centre of a power struggle between two warring factions amid claims of bullying, harassment and misogyny.

Councillor Westwood said he was on his “third warning” from the association over speaking out about bullying. He said his wife – Sedgley councillor Tina Westwood – had gone through "three years from hell" at the hands of the association, while fellow Tory councillor Anne Millward had been banned from Rishi Sunak's recent elections campaign visit to Dudley over fears she would make things "uncomfortable".

He added that the “personal gain and ego” of association members had forced him to resign.

Meanwhile, Councillor Evans said: "All of my working life and for the last 23 years as a conservative councillor, I have always carried out my duties with pride and professionalism. And I’ve always been proud to be a member of the Conservative Party.

"I’m totally ashamed of being a member of Dudley North Conservative Association, an association I believe has betrayed and not supported the hard working councillors or non-serving councillors of Dudley North, for the wrong reasons. Or maybe they have been wrongly led by someone else."

Tory councillors Tina Westwood, Anne Millward, and Karen Shakespeare were all deselected ahead of the May 4 local elections.

Councillor Millward was suspended last year by the Conservatives and briefly sat as an independent for 21 days. She had criticised Tory council leader Patrick Harley's decision to pull out of the Black Country Plan and was accused of trying to get Labour councillors to join her in opposing the move.

At the time she said her de-selection was down to misogyny, a claim refuted by the association which selected another woman, Claire Sullivan, in her place.

Councillor Millward is standing in Gornal as an independent candidate.

Conservative council leader Patrick Harley said: "Whatever the fallings out between the individuals and their association, when you can pick away all the nonsense, they are hardworking decent councillors."

Dudley North Conservatives declined to comment when approached by the Express & Star.