A LEADING councillor claims Dudley Council could be heading for a lurch to the left as power changes hands.

Cllr David Sparks has stepped aside as leader of the Labour-run authority and his successor seems certain to be deputy leader, Cllr Pete Lowe.

Leader of the Conservative opposition, Cllr Patrick Harley, believes Cllr Lowe and his allies will move the council’s policies further towards a socialist agenda driven by political dogma.

To make his point Cllr Harley highlighted a motion to be debated at the next full council meeting, on Monday December 1, which would ban the authority from buying goods and services where there would be a direct benefit to the state of Israel.

He said: “This is going back to the days of the Militant Tendency in the 1980s, it serves no purpose. The left will run riot, there will be more motions like this which do nothing for the people of Dudley - there will be more crackpot ideas.

“David was very level headed, he did what was required, he didn’t try to lurch to the left.

“In the council chamber he defended his position ferociously but outside he was extremely hard working and approachable.”

Cllr Lowe was quick to rubbish the claims and hit back at Cllr Harley, who recently saw two Tory councillors defect to Labour.

He said: “This is a good example of loony politics, he is out of touch with the people of Dudley and his own party.

“Myself and David are on the same page politically as is the whole of the group, if I become leader our approach will be exactly the same, we believe in engagement with the local community, it is not about the politics of the left or right.”

Cllr Sparks, who is chairman of the national Local Government Association (LGA), announced his departure as leader of the Labour group on November 21 and will cease to be leader of the authority at the next full council meeting, when his replacement will be elected.

He is stepping down to concentrate on his work with the LGA, the announcement follows a health scare earlier this month when he became unwell during a committee meeting at the House of Commons.

Cllr Sparks said: “Dudley Council is in a period of change. We have just appointed a new chief executive and we are in the process of streamlining our senior management team. We also now have an agreement in principle to work towards a combined authority for the West Midlands.

“Stepping down as leader will also allow me the time to focus on my national role as chair of the LGA.”

He has pledged to continue as a ward councillor for Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood, a seat he has held since 1977.

Cllr Lowe is standing as a candidate for Stourbridge in next year’s general election. He told the News if he wins a parliamentary seat he would stand down as council leader.