That this House notes that in December 2001 the Law Lords delivered a unanimous judgement that Dame Shirley Porter and David Weeks, two Conservative ex-leaders of Westminster City Council, were guilty of 'deliberate, blatant and dishonest abuse of public power' amounting to 'political corruption'; further notes that on 30th May 2003 the European Court of Human Rights rejected Dame Shirley Porter's appeal as 'manifestly ill-founded' and 'inadmissible', and that there is now no further legal recourse available to her; further notes that she is liable for a surcharge which, with interest, totals in excess of ??37 million towards which she has so far contributed ??3,000 and a gold-plated toilet seat; recalls the numerous undertakings given to the House by Conservative ministers of the day that, once the judicial process had been exhausted and the charges of gerrymandering upheld, they would condemn the perpetrators; in particular recalls the assurance of the Right honourable Member for Chingford and Woodford Green that they 'must be subject to the due process of law and that if they are found guilty they should be sanctioned accordingly' 14th May 1996, Official Report, column 849; and calls on the Right honourable Member unequivocally and without further delay to fulfil his pledge and do what no senior Conservative has done to date by apologising publicly for the crimes committed in his party's name and, should she remain a member, expel Dame Shirley Porter from the Conservative Party.

That this House notes that in December 2001 the Law Lords delivered a unanimous judgement that Dame Shirley Porter and David Weeks, two Conservative ex-leaders of Westminster City Council, were guilty of 'deliberate, blatant and dishonest abuse of public power' amounting to 'political corruption'; further notes that on 30th May...

That this House applauds the Government's recent decision to accept the principle that elected councillors could become members of the Local Government Pension Scheme from April 2002; is however concerned that recently-issued consultation documents have not included any powers to award additional service upon entry to the scheme, thereby preventing any recognition of and provision for those councillors who have already served local government for many years; believes that councillors should be able to transfer pension rights into their scheme from previous employment, to transfer out pension rights accrued as a councillor and to purchase added years' service into the scheme similar to local government officials; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to add such options to the consultation process.

That this House applauds the Government's recent decision to accept the principle that elected councillors could become members of the Local Government Pension Scheme from April 2002; is however concerned that recently-issued consultation documents have not included any powers to award additional service upon entry to the scheme, thereby preventing...

That this House condemns the statements in the article There's Nothing Wrong with Racism on the website of Professor Geoffrey Sampson, Conservative councillor on Wealdon District Council; considers as indefensible and deeply offensive his comments 'Negroes tend to be less bright than whites, multi-culturalism is just wicked madness' and other comments about ethnic minorities, asylum seekers and women; and calls on the Right honourable Member for Chingford to condemn these statements and expel Professor Sampson from the Conservative Party.

That this House condemns the statements in the article There's Nothing Wrong with Racism on the website of Professor Geoffrey Sampson, Conservative councillor on Wealdon District Council; considers as indefensible and deeply offensive his comments 'Negroes tend to be less bright than whites, multi-culturalism is just wicked madness' and other...

That this House notes that Tory councillor Isaac Leibowitz has been sent to prison for six months for his role in the commission of forgery, conspiracy and fraud in local elections in Hackney and that Lib-Dem councillor Zev Lieberman has been jailed for four months; believes that given the gravity of the crimes the sentences were absurdly lenient and calls on the Attorney General to refer the cases to the Court of Appeal so that they can be increased; condemns Leibowitz and Lieberman for their persistent and extraordinary lies during the trial as though they were unable to tell the difference between right and wrong; is saddened that their only regret and that of their colleagues on Hackney Council was that they were caught, regrets that the prosecution has decided not to ask for a re-trial to agree on their innocence or guilt in the trial; calls on Sharer and Achhala who, whether or not they were involved in the fraud, were beneficiaries of it, to resign immediately so that free and fair by-elections can be held; and in furtherance of the interests of democracy for the future calls on local and national leaders in the Tory and Lib-Dem parties including the Tory mayor of Hackney to condemn and disown the fraudsters in the strongest possible terms.

That this House notes that Tory councillor Isaac Leibowitz has been sent to prison for six months for his role in the commission of forgery, conspiracy and fraud in local elections in Hackney and that Lib-Dem councillor Zev Lieberman has been jailed for four months; believes that given the gravity...

That this House deplores the refusal of Councillor Ollerenshaw OBE, the Leader of the Tory Group on Hackney Council and Deputy Leader of the Tory Group on the Greater London Assembly, to condemn the conduct of fellow Tory Councillor Isaac Leibowitz after his conviction for vote-rigging in the 1998 council elections in Hackney; finds it disturbing that Councillor Ollerenshaw should declare on television that the two Hackney councillors, one Tory, one Liberal Democrat, who have disgraced the democratic process, are good people; understands that this is because Councillor Ollerenshaw knows that a number of Tory councillors have been involved in electoral fraud including granny farming in various elections; calls on Councillor Ollerenshaw to explain why the Tory Party in Hackney welcomed Councillor Leibowitz into their ranks knowing that he had been expelled from the Labour Party for serious wrong-doing; and calls on the Leader of the Tory Party nationally to institute an inquiry into Councillor Ollerenshaw's conduct and his knowledge of proxy voting fraud in local elections.

That this House deplores the refusal of Councillor Ollerenshaw OBE, the Leader of the Tory Group on Hackney Council and Deputy Leader of the Tory Group on the Greater London Assembly, to condemn the conduct of fellow Tory Councillor Isaac Leibowitz after his conviction for vote-rigging in the 1998 council...

That this House calls on the Tory and Liberal Democrat parties to uphold the integrity of local government by following the example of the Labour Party in suspending councillors when they are charged with serious criminal offences; regrets that this was not done in the cases of Tory Councillor Isaac Leibowitz and Liberal Democrat Councillor Zev Lieberman in Hackney; and believes that the leaders of the Tory and Liberal Democrat parties should explain why they were prepared to allow their councillors to continue acting in the name of their parties when they were charged with forgery and conspiracy acting in the name of their parties when they were charged with forgery and conspiracy to defraud, offences which went to the heart of the democratic system.

That this House calls on the Tory and Liberal Democrat parties to uphold the integrity of local government by following the example of the Labour Party in suspending councillors when they are charged with serious criminal offences; regrets that this was not done in the cases of Tory Councillor Isaac...

That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the conduct of Tory Councillor Isaac Leibowitz and Liberal Democrat Councillor Zev Lieberman who were found guilty by a jury of forgery and conspiracy to defraud in one of the worst cases of vote-rigging ever to take place in Britain; is appalled that through the actions of these corrupt councillors the will of the electorate was frustrated in the 1998 council elections in Hackney; believes that Councillors Leibowitz and Lieberman have brought shame on themselves, their political parties and their communities; is saddened that the defendants in this case defiled the memory of the victims of the Holocaust in praying in aid the horrors of the Holocaust in their defence; calls on the Leaders of the Tory Party and the Liberal Democrats to denounce the persistent electoral frauds carried out in Hackney by their members; and congratulates the police on the thoroughness of their investigations in this case and their admirable professionalism and hopes that they will investigate subsequent electoral frauds in Hackney and bring the perpetrators before the courts.

That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the conduct of Tory Councillor Isaac Leibowitz and Liberal Democrat Councillor Zev Lieberman who were found guilty by a jury of forgery and conspiracy to defraud in one of the worst cases of vote-rigging ever to take place in Britain; is...

That this House condemns the comments made by Welsh Nationalist Plaid Cymru Councillor, Seimon Glyn, Chairman of Housing on Gwynnedd County Council, accusing English residents of 'invading' Wales and calling for such incomers to be monitored; and believes that Councillor Glyn's comments are wholly unacceptable in a civilised and tolerant society and that they have caused hurt and distress to many residents from all cultures and backgrounds who have settled in Wales and brought richness and diversity to that country.

That this House condemns the comments made by Welsh Nationalist Plaid Cymru Councillor, Seimon Glyn, Chairman of Housing on Gwynnedd County Council, accusing English residents of 'invading' Wales and calling for such incomers to be monitored; and believes that Councillor Glyn's comments are wholly unacceptable in a civilised and tolerant...

That this House condemns Westminster Council's plan to hold a secret late night meeting on 16th December to consider requests from current and former Conservative councillors criticised during the 'homes for votes' inquiry to be paid hundreds to thousands to pounds of council tax-payers' money; notes the advice from a leading QC and the legal adviser to John Magill, the Council's former auditor, that such payments would be completely unlawful; and calls on the Council's current auditor to intervene immediately to prevent this outrageous abuse of public office and public funds.

That this House condemns Westminster Council's plan to hold a secret late night meeting on 16th December to consider requests from current and former Conservative councillors criticised during the 'homes for votes' inquiry to be paid hundreds to thousands to pounds of council tax-payers' money; notes the advice from a...

That this House congratulates the record number of Labour councillors elected on 4th May and, in particular, the 1799 new Labour councillors elected in seats gained and those Labour councillors elected in the 42 councils where Labour gained control; and notes that with 48 per cent. of the vote this was Labour's best ever Local Government result and that Labour now has more seats than the Tories and Liberal Democrats put together and that while the Tory vote fell to its lowest level, the Liberal Democrats also saw their share of the vote fall by 4 per cent. from 1994 giving a clear message from the public across the whole country of their trust in and support for Labour councils at the local level and the quality of services they provide and their belief that, at national level, only Labour offers the hope of a real and viable alternative to this discredited and untrustworthy Tory Government.

That this House congratulates the record number of Labour councillors elected on 4th May and, in particular, the 1799 new Labour councillors elected in seats gained and those Labour councillors elected in the 42 councils where Labour gained control; and notes that with 48 per cent. of the vote this...

That this House notes that Brent Conservative councillor, Mr Bill Duffin, the current Chair of the Housing Committee and former Tory councillor, Leslie Winters, failed to declare a financial interest in a planning application by their employer which they promoted in the council; notes that Tory councillor, Mr David Tobert, was in breach of the council's code of conduct for members involved in planning applications; further notes that the current Tory group leader, Mr Bob Blackman, has blatantly ignored the Prime Minister's call for Tories to oppose sleaze and corruption by refusing to condemn this breach of the electorate's trust; calls on the Prime Minister to make good his promises to rid the Conservative Party of sleaze and corruption by taking immediate firm action against Tories on Brent Council in accordance with his statement to the House made on Tuesday 18th October in Prime minister's Questions; and regrets that Tory rule in Brent has sullied the name of the area, associating it with bribery, corruption and a complete lack of principle in the pursuit of power.

That this House notes that Brent Conservative councillor, Mr Bill Duffin, the current Chair of the Housing Committee and former Tory councillor, Leslie Winters, failed to declare a financial interest in a planning application by their employer which they promoted in the council; notes that Tory councillor, Mr David Tobert,...

That this House believes that free debate is the essence of democracy and that local government is at the front line of this democracy; regrets therefore that at the full meeting of Birmingham City Council on Tuesday 12th April the leader of the Conservative Opposition, Councillor Bernard Zissman, led a walkout of half of his group members and therefore was not present at the debate on the Education Committee Report; applauds the courage of Conservative Councillor Allan Blumenthal, a City Councillor for more than 10 years, for writing to his leader saying how embarrassed he and his colleagues were by the walkout calling for Councillor Zissman to consider his position as leader; and calls upon the national Conservative Party leadership to explain to Councillor Zissman that organising walkouts of the debating forum of the largest local authority in England is not the action of a mature political leader.

That this House believes that free debate is the essence of democracy and that local government is at the front line of this democracy; regrets therefore that at the full meeting of Birmingham City Council on Tuesday 12th April the leader of the Conservative Opposition, Councillor Bernard Zissman, led a...

That this House deplores the shameful attacks made by Conservative Councillors on Leicester City Council against the Right Reverend Thomas Butler, Bishop of Leicester, following his plea in the Leicester Mercury for tolerance, respect and understanding between people of different religions and cultures; fully supports the views of the Bishop that it would be `tragic if local politics began to be divisive of the communities' in Leicester; calls on the Prime Minister forthwith to dissociate himself from the unwarranted and disgraceful attack by members of his party on the integrity of the Bishop of Leicester; and asks him to join with all people of goodwill to reaffirm the commitment to the promotion of good community relations throughout Britain.

That this House deplores the shameful attacks made by Conservative Councillors on Leicester City Council against the Right Reverend Thomas Butler, Bishop of Leicester, following his plea in the Leicester Mercury for tolerance, respect and understanding between people of different religions and cultures; fully supports the views of the Bishop...

That this House is deeply concerned at the dumping by Stirling Conservatives of Councillor Frank Saunders, the Leader of the Conservative Group on Central Regional Council, who has been deselected as candidate for the Viewforth division because of his disagreement with the Government's plans to butcher Scottish local government and in particular its plans to break up Central Region; notes that Colonel Saunders has been a member of the Conservative party for 52 years and a councillor for over 30 years and that his fellow Conservative councillor Susan Dukes said in the Stirling Observer 'Councillor Saunders is an honourable man and an experienced councillor who believes that the interests of the people must come first'; notes the comment of yet another Conservative colleague, Councillor Janice McNicol, 'We felt the Conservatives were missing out on the opportunity to show that they were above that awful word gerrymandering - To produce particles of blue across Scotland was not the way to go about the forming of local government' - and that she the thought Conservatives were above that; and conclude that the deselection of people such as Councillor Saunders speaks eloquently of the lack of free speech in today's Conservative Party and that Edinburgh District Conservative councillor Brian Meek is right to pose the question in regard to the Saunder's case, 'Are we supposed to be speaking puppets?'.

That this House is deeply concerned at the dumping by Stirling Conservatives of Councillor Frank Saunders, the Leader of the Conservative Group on Central Regional Council, who has been deselected as candidate for the Viewforth division because of his disagreement with the Government's plans to butcher Scottish local government and...

That this House calls on the honourable Members for Denton and Reddish and for Stalybridge and Hyde, as trustees of the Tameside Community Care Trust, the majority shareholder in Tameside Enterprise Limited, co-owned with Tameside Borough Council and Ashton under Lyne Labour Party, to explain the serious allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement detailed in the BBC Radio 4 "Face the Facts" programme broadcast on 13th January; notes the widespread involvement of Labour councillors, their spouses, friends and relations, the debts of ??2 million and up, and the cuts in staff conditions negotiated with NUPE; and calls for a thorough investigation by the District Auditor, the Fraud Squad and the Charity Commissioners.

That this House calls on the honourable Members for Denton and Reddish and for Stalybridge and Hyde, as trustees of the Tameside Community Care Trust, the majority shareholder in Tameside Enterprise Limited, co-owned with Tameside Borough Council and Ashton under Lyne Labour Party, to explain the serious allegations of corruption...

That this House applauds the action of the Liberal Democrats' London Region in issuing an ultimatum to the Liberal Democrat councillors in Tower Hamlets to accept the findings of the internal party inquiry which found that Focus leaflets pandered to racism; but regrets that purposeful action to root out racism in the Liberal Democrats has been dismissed by the Liberal Democrat Lancashire County Councillor, Tony Greaves, as 'political correctness'.

That this House applauds the action of the Liberal Democrats' London Region in issuing an ultimatum to the Liberal Democrat councillors in Tower Hamlets to accept the findings of the internal party inquiry which found that Focus leaflets pandered to racism; but regrets that purposeful action to root out racism...

That this House notes that the Liberal Democrat leadership has still not expelled the two Party activists condemned by the Liberal Democrats' own inquiry of 'pandering to racism' in Tower Hamlets; notes with interest a letter from two Liberal Democrat councillors, Councillor Sally Prentice (Vauxhall) and Councillor Steve Gauge (Southwark), to the Liberal Democrat News in which they deplored the fact that 'as Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament, councillors and party members, we continually call for tough action to tackle injustice and maladministration, yet we are incapable of taking action within our own party'; observes that the two councillors go on to claim that the Party's 'failure to act gave the impression that "party unity" in Tower Hamlets was more important than taking action to root out racism'; welcomes the fact that at least some Liberal Democrats are not prepared to follow their Party's leadership and turn a blind eye to the Liberal Democrats' consistently unacceptable and offensive campaigning tactics; and calls upon the Right honourable Member for Yeovil and his hypocritical Party to clean up their act.

That this House notes that the Liberal Democrat leadership has still not expelled the two Party activists condemned by the Liberal Democrats' own inquiry of 'pandering to racism' in Tower Hamlets; notes with interest a letter from two Liberal Democrat councillors, Councillor Sally Prentice (Vauxhall) and Councillor Steve Gauge (Southwark),...

That this House notes the unsavoury actions of West Lancashire District Conservative councillors serving on an exactly hung council, who, on the same day as the funeral of Labour Councillor Danny Bassey, voted to remove all Labour joint-chairmen of Committees and alter the composition of key committees, even though there was no change whatever in mandate; also notes the large number of hung councils; and calls on the Government to clarify or alter the Widdicombe regulations and the Representation of the People Act to take account of the death of any councillor, within six months of a coming election, on a hung council.

That this House notes the unsavoury actions of West Lancashire District Conservative councillors serving on an exactly hung council, who, on the same day as the funeral of Labour Councillor Danny Bassey, voted to remove all Labour joint-chairmen of Committees and alter the composition of key committees, even though there...

That this House congratulates Mr Albert Annett, Chairman of the Planning Committee of Medina District Council on the Isle of Wight, for resigning from the Tory group in protest against what he calls 'unacceptable pressure' from freemasons; wonders why the Government's alleged commitment to openness has not so far extended to obliging disclosure from freemasons who are public servants; notes with satisfaction that, in the absence of Government action, an increasing number of local authorities are making freemasonry a declarable interest; and hopes that others will do so, particularly in the Isle of Wight.

That this House congratulates Mr Albert Annett, Chairman of the Planning Committee of Medina District Council on the Isle of Wight, for resigning from the Tory group in protest against what he calls 'unacceptable pressure' from freemasons; wonders why the Government's alleged commitment to openness has not so far extended...

That this House welcomes the election of Councillor Margaret Singh of Reading District Councils on 21st July as the new Chair of the Association of District Councils; recalls that on 21st June Councillor Dennis Pettitt of Nottinghamshire County Council was elected Chair of the Association of County Councils and that Councillor Jeremy Beecham of Newcastle City Council was re-elected as Chair of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities on 17th June; notes that for the first time in local government history, all three major local authority associations are now headed by councillors from the Labour Party; endorses the view of the honourable Member for Blackburn that 'The Conservatives are now an endangered species in the local government'; considers that Labour in local government best represents the concerns and needs of local people; and wishes the three chairs well in their terms of office.

That this House welcomes the election of Councillor Margaret Singh of Reading District Councils on 21st July as the new Chair of the Association of District Councils; recalls that on 21st June Councillor Dennis Pettitt of Nottinghamshire County Council was elected Chair of the Association of County Councils and that...