A political row has erupted in Walsall after Reform was accused of 'hijacking Christmas' over a Willenhall light switch-on event. Labour councillor Simran Cheema, the only Labour member at the authority, claims her planned festive event for November 20 was cancelled by Reform leader Elaine Williams, who instead plans a separate switch-on.
Labour councillor's event cancelled
Councillor Cheema, ward councillor for Willenhall, had been organising the event and had already posted a promotional 'Save The Date' flyer on Facebook. She said the situation escalated when 'Reform wanted to do its own Christmas switch on'.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Councillor Cheema said she had organised a similar event last year, which was funded mainly by a large sponsorship from Assa Abloy, funds from the West Midlands Combined Authority, and herself. Walsall Council provided the installation costs for the lights, which she described as a good-will gesture following the havoc caused by cycle lane roadworks.
For the 2026 event, Councillor Cheema said she struggled to find sponsorship and approached council officers about the government's Pride in Place Impact Fund. She told the directors it would be good to spend a small element of it on Willenhall's Christmas lights, explaining: "I told them we've had a difficult year and we'd be grateful for the support."
She said the directors said it would need a sign-off from the deputy leader, and she had a pleasant conversation with Councillor Barker, who agreed to sign it off. However, she claimed: "Next thing I heard was that Councillor Williams had instructed that the event be cancelled because I've organised it and she wants to turn the lights on herself in Willenhall."
Reform leader denies claims
Councillor Williams, the Reform leader, responded that the claims 'do not reflect the facts and risk misleading residents about what actually occurred'. She said Councillor Cheema did not have authority to commission Christmas lights or commit the council to expenditure without necessary approvals, and that no approval had been sought or granted.
"Councillor Cheema chose to proceed without securing the necessary authorisations, which could have left her personally liable for the costs incurred," Councillor Williams said. She added that Councillor Barker spoke with Councillor Cheema and agreed to honour the commitment to purchase the lights despite there being no approved budget.
Councillor Williams stated: "The suggestion that support for Christmas in Willenhall has been withdrawn is simply incorrect. In fact, the Christmas Light Switch-On was always planned to take place on 26 November, and preparations for the event have continued throughout."
Community anger and political point scoring
Councillor Cheema said Reform should have supported the existing preparations for the November 20 event rather than doing its own for 'political point scoring'. She said: "Councillor Williams should have reached out and got involved. It's a lot of organising and it's not just me, there's lots of people in the community organising it.
"They just did not want me to have anything to do with it and have hijacked Christmas and cancelled this event for the community. I didn't think they would stoop this low. People of Willenhall will see right through it."
She added that she had asked officers if she needed extra permissions and was told she was entitled to organise an event on public land. "Now I've had to cancel everything and contact community organisations. I just feel sick to my stomach," she said.
Councillor Williams said Councillor Cheema was invited to work with Reform's event arrangements but had not responded. She said: "At no point was this about preventing festive celebrations from taking place, nor was it about political point scoring. It was about ensuring that proper governance, financial controls, and accountability were followed before public money was committed."
She concluded: "It is disappointing that a matter of financial governance has been presented as an attempt to 'cancel Christmas'. Residents deserve honesty about the circumstances. The issue arose because commitments were made before the necessary approvals had been obtained, not because anyone sought to prevent Christmas events from taking place. We hope that future discussions about community events can focus on bringing people together and delivering for residents, rather than creating unnecessary political division."
