LIBERAL Democrats across neighbouring boroughs are closing ranks over the political scandal engulfing the leader of Islington Council and four other top-ranked councillors.
Camden members have expressed sympathy for Cllr Steve Hitchins, who is accused of conspiring with colleagues to appoint former Liberal Democrat campaigner Helen Bailey to the £130,000 a year position of council chief executive in July 2003.
One of the most prominent Liberal Democrats in local government, Cllr Hitchins is now awaiting the results of a Standards Board for England inquiry.
The case follows a complaint by former Labour opposition leader Mary Creagh and has also placed Liberal Democrat councillors Bridget Fox, Margot Dunn, Jyoti Vaja and Dorrie Valery in the dock.
Ms Bailey had previously worked on the party’s policy forum groups.
Investigators have interviewed key witnesses and a verdict is expected by the end of November.
Colleagues on the Camden side of the border are, however, monitoring the proceedings closely and there is a feeling within the ranks that the Lib Dem-run Islington Council has been picked on.
Camden Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Keith Moffitt said: “I think Liberal Democrats have sympathy for the Liberal Democrats in Islington. What strikes me is that similar things have happened in Labour councils and there hasn’t been complaints made and it has become so serious. It is a serious issue but it seems baffling that they are picking on the Liberal Democrats in Islington.”
The accused councillors, who if found guilty could be barred from public office for five years, are paying their own legal fees to fight the case, a cash outlay collectively adding up to around £200,000.
Cllr Moffitt said: “We haven’t been asked to help financially but I think its something that we would look seriously at if we were.”
Notoriously, Cllr Hitchins helped write party pamphlet Effective Opposition in the late 1990s as the Lib Dems slowly wrested power away from the Labour group. The text advises Lib Dem councillors – including how to write tactical press releases and attack the ruling party.
It reads: “Effective opposition exposes and exploits mistakes, shortcomings, blunders and misconduct of the other group (notably the ruling group) on the council. Effective opposition accentuates the negative.”
Cllr Moffitt said that the booklet was well known but not used in Camden as a blueprint to claim power – the main objective for the party in next year’s council elections.
He said: “Steve Hitchins has been a great friend to Camden Liberal Democrats. I think in Islington they were further ahead than us but now we have caught up. He has given advice attended meetings and given talks. We can have different views but the Liberal Democrats believe in local government and are willing to listen to other views.”