Basingstoke
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Councillor hit with two-year party ban
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| Phil Heath (centre) celebrating election success in May with fellow Conservatives |
A PROMINENT Basingstoke politician has been expelled from the Conservatives for two years over a dispute with a party worker.
County and borough councillor Phil Heath this week became an independent after Basingstoke Conservative Association's executive council voted by 17 to five to throw him out.
The decision was taken over an alleged argument conducted by telephone answer messages between him and Mike Denness, agent for the association and Basingstoke MP Maria Miller.
After Monday's vote, association chairman Nigel McNair-Scott said: "We Conservatives deeply regret that we have had to expel Cllr Heath from the party.
"We have the highest standards and people expect members of the Conservative Party, especially those who hold elected office, to share those standards.
"Last night, the executive council decided that Cllr Heath's behaviour was incompatible with those standards."
The party's general purposes committee last month suspended Cllr Heath,
52, based on "evidence relating to Cllr Heath's actions in a series of interactions with another individual".
The association's executive council, made up of elected committee members and representatives of each ward, backed the committee's decision in a secret ballot after reviewing evidence from written statements and witnesses.
Cllr Heath, who represents Hatch Warren and Beggarwood on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Basingstoke South West at Hampshire County Council, is preparing an appeal to the party's national central board over the decision.
If he fails, he can still re-apply to join the party after his two-year ban.
He said: "I'm very disappointed. It was not unexpected they would vote against me, whatever was said.
"I was fighting on an uneven wicket before I even started."
Cllr Heath, a borough councillor for 16 years and a former party whip at Hampshire County Council, said he felt he had been expelled over a single incident in 20 years of service that should have been dealt with by a warning.
He claimed he immediately apologised for his message.
"They have elevated this to a level beyond anything of any reason," he added.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm still a Conservative and I still stand for those values and I think the party will support me when I appeal.
"I can reassure the residents of Hatch Warren, Beggarwood and Kempshott I will still be working for them in the same way."
Mr Denness declined to comment. He said: "As a paid employee of the party, it would be unprofessional of me to comment on the inner workings of the party."
Cllr Heath said fellow borough ward members Cllr Dan Putty and Cllr Harry Robinson supported him at the meeting.
Cllr Putty told The Gazette: "I just feel a lot of sadness that he's not in the party itself for the time being. Hopefully, very soon, he will rejoin us."
Another Conservative borough councillor affected by the decision is Cllr Heath's wife, who represents Kempshott ward.
She said: "It does put me in an awkward situation because he's my husband and I support him.
"I think it could have been settled in a much more amicable, gentlemanly way."
She said she intended staying in the party.
9:58am Friday 18th July 2008
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CommentPosted by: BonzoDog, local on 10:07am Fri 18 Jul 08
It seems a trivial reason to be sacked, compared to things other conservatives get up to, but hey, some can get away with it, Phil couldn't.
He'll be back though when they realise what they're losing.
It seems a trivial reason to be sacked, compared to things other conservatives get up to, but hey, some can get away with it, Phil couldn't.
He'll be back though when they realise what they're losing.
Posted by: Steve McIntyre-Stewart, Argyll & Bute on 2:42pm Fri 18 Jul 08
I find this situation to be full so of double standards it is a joke. This kind of falling out goes on a lot in party offices of all partys up and down the country. What makes this different? Simple, it's Phill Heath this time and not someone with thier cheque book out. I hope Phill wins his appeal, Hatch Warren voted for a conservative and nobody has the right to take that away from them, whatever your feelings about Phill Heath, the people have already voted.
I find this situation to be full so of double standards it is a joke. This kind of falling out goes on a lot in party offices of all partys up and down the country. What makes this different? Simple, it's Phill Heath this time and not someone with thier cheque book out. I hope Phill wins his appeal, Hatch Warren voted for a conservative and nobody has the right to take that away from them, whatever your feelings about Phill Heath, the people have already voted.
Posted by: Carlos Tilbury, overton on 5:59pm Fri 18 Jul 08
but its not the first time Cllr Heath has been in trouble, wasnt he told to take anger managment course recently for shouting at officers and members of his own party?
but its not the first time Cllr Heath has been in trouble, wasnt he told to take anger managment course recently for shouting at officers and members of his own party?
Posted by: Philo Heath, Basingstoke on 5:51pm Thu 24 Jul 08
Actually no I was asked to take a training non specific course.
Also it was one member of the party a cabinet member thought Mr Tilbury thought that all councillors needed shouting at some times.
Actually no I was asked to take a training non specific course.
Also it was one member of the party a cabinet member thought Mr Tilbury thought that all councillors needed shouting at some times.
Posted by: Carlos Tilbury, overton on 11:07am Fri 25 Jul 08
be it one or 100 you should never shout at people, I have a stessful job like alot of people, delivering a multi million pound projects cause stress, but I never get shouty, I like like passion in Cllr's and I like to see people stand up for what they believe in, regardless of party colours.
Discussion is the biggest weapon and I find that their are alot of people involved running this borough who have little or no idea on whats is actually going on, thats why they try and silence people.
be it one or 100 you should never shout at people, I have a stessful job like alot of people, delivering a multi million pound projects cause stress, but I never get shouty, I like like passion in Cllr's and I like to see people stand up for what they believe in, regardless of party colours.
Discussion is the biggest weapon and I find that their are alot of people involved running this borough who have little or no idea on whats is actually going on, thats why they try and silence people.
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