A bitter internal rift has erupted within the Conservative Party in Walsall, as senior councillors took the extraordinary step of publicly shaming their own local association over the "disgraceful" deselection of a veteran colleague.
Fury Over 50 Years of Service 'Rewarded' with Deselection
The controversy centres on Councillor Keith Sears, one of nine Walsall councillors not approved to stand in the upcoming local elections this May. At a full council meeting on Monday night, colleagues from across the political spectrum gathered to congratulate Sears on 50 years of unbroken service as a councillor.
However, the tributes to his loyalty, advocacy, and knowledge were overshadowed by fierce condemnation of the decision by the Aldridge Brownhills Conservative Association to remove him as a candidate. Seven councillors spoke out against the move, with four of those critics coming from within the Conservative group itself.
Council Leader, Conservative Councillor Mike Bird, led the criticism, stating: "Keith is one of the best patch councillors I’ve ever come across. Some of the stories you would have read about the Conservative Party having treated certain individuals, of which Keith is one of them, is reprehensible."
'An Insult and an Eye-Opener'
The backlash was intensely personal and highlighted deep-seated frustrations with the local party's selection process. Councillor Bobby Bains, who described Sears as a "giant of Walsall politics", directly blamed local MP Wendy Morton, alleging the association had been "infiltrated by Wendy Morton and her people".
Councillor Pete Smith expressed sorrow that the party had not shown Sears the same loyalty he had shown it. Meanwhile, Councillor Vera Waters, who resigned from the Tories in November, called the treatment "absolutely disgraceful", arguing Sears should have been allowed to choose his own retirement date.
Perhaps the most stark warning came from Councillor Waheed Rasab, who said: "Not putting him on the approved list after 50 years is an insult, and an eye opener – it could be you next. If your face doesn’t fit in, you’ll be out."
A Wider Pattern of Controversial Decisions
The deselection of Keith Sears is not an isolated case. Eight other sitting councillors were also not approved as candidates for the May elections. The list includes:
- Gaz Ali (Birchills Leamore)
- Sarah Cooper (Streetly)
- Nick Gandham (Paddock)
- Amo Hussain (Birchills Leamore)
- Amanda Parkes (Aldridge North and Walsall Wood)
- Waheed Rasab (Paddock)
- Suky Samra (Streetly)
All nine councillors appealed the decision in August last year. However, the Aldridge Brownhills Conservative Association did not respond for over ten weeks—only doing so on the same day the Local Democracy Reporting Service asked about the silence.
While the appeals of seven councillors were initially upheld, granting them a second interview, they were all ultimately refused candidacy once again. Only Councillors Rasab and Ali did not have their appeals upheld.
The unprecedented scale of the deselections and the handling of the appeals process have thrown the local Conservative association into turmoil, exposing significant divisions just months before voters go to the polls. The Conservative Party, the Aldridge Brownhills Conservative Association, and Wendy Morton MP have been approached for comment.
