Liverpool Council's education chief quits

Mar 27 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Councillor Paul Clein _320

LIVERPOOL city councillor Paul Clein has resigned as executive member for children’s services in the wake of the row about the deselection of a Liberal Democrat colleague and what he calls the "questionable behaviour" of the council leadership.

Cllr Clein, who had been on the executive board for ten years, said he had been "unhappy with the leadership of the council for a while".

He is not resigning as a councillor.

He said: "The deselection of my friend and colleague Cllr Kevin Firth was basically the last straw.

"It seems to me there is a strong perception by all and sundry that Kevin was deselected because of his attempts  to hold the leadership to account over the Mathew Street business.

"I just felt no-one else was going to stand up and say that is wrong, so I am."

Cllr Clein sent a letter of resignation to the city council leader effective as of today.