PRESSURE was growing last night for a full independent inquiry into
the ''Monklands Mafia'' affair after the Labour Party's own
investigation ignored key allegations of sectarianism, financial
mismanagement, and nepotism.
Labour Leader John Smith and Shadow Scottish Secretary Tom Clarke, the
area's MPs, have also come under renewed attack for refusing point-blank
to discuss the issue.
In its report, the Scottish Labour Party has ordered a major shake-up
of local party operations and admits Monklands District Council had left
itself open to criticism for the way staff were appointed.
But it has sidestepped the key issues of an alleged ''jobs for the
boys'' policy, and claims of sectarianism and financial ''impropriety'',
saying these issues were not within its remit.
The investigation was launched in September after growing public
concern over charges of bias, nepotism, and bigotry were made by
political opponents and by dissident members of the ruling Labour group.
It was claimed that local authority jobs went mainly to people favoured
by certain councillors and the predominantly Roman Catholic town of
Coatbridge was favoured for spending projects over Protestant Airdrie.
Four Airdrie councillors were disciplined after complaining of alleged
bias.
''The whole thing is a charade and amounts to a whitewash,'' said
local SNP councillor Neil Douglas yesterday. ''A lot of people will
sleep easier tonight after Labour's shallow and feeble attempt at
investigation. Some will feel vindicated, but the Monklands people will
not be fooled.''
Local Conservative chairman Gordon Lind and Dover MP David Shaw, the
main critic in the Commons, both immediately demanded a formal
independent investigation, and both claimed they were still receiving
information from anonymous sources about alleged abuses.
''I issued an appeal for people to come forward in confidence and
already there has been a positive response highlighting questionable use
of power,'' claimed Mr Lind.
Council leader Jim Brooks said yesterday that he agreed with the
general recommendations in the report, and many of them had been
implemented already. But he attacked those in his own party who, he
said, had conducted a vicious smear campaign against the council based
on lies, innuendo, and whispers.
''I call them the cockroach brigade. Show some light on them and they
scurry away. I am sick of newspapers running sensationalist stories
based on rumour and innuendo, of unnamed sources making allegations.
When you ask for proof or evidence to back up these allegations,
however, none is forthcoming . . . we have nothing to hide at all.''
Mr Brooks said the allegations had done great damage to Monklands at a
time when the council was trying to attract investment into the area.
The 35-page report does not name a single councillor or party official
and talks instead in general terms about modernising local party
procedures.
The only real criticism is levelled at the local newspaper, the
Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser, which is accused of going ''beyond
reasonable bounds'' in its coverage of the affair.
The report's recommendations include:
* Councillors should only be involved in the appointment of senior
officials.
* Provosts and council conveners should serve no more than two terms
of office and council committees should have a broader membership.
* There should be a more equitable distribution of committees among
group members, ''so that some do not become overburdened while others
may have little more to do than attend the full council meeting.''
Scottish Labour Party chair
woman Anne McGuire, who headed the inquiry, described it as an attempt
to ''ventilate local party democracy'' and denied that it was a
whitewash.
''I don't think the report is a cover-up,'' she said. ''If you wade
your way through the pages, it has dealt with the issues that were
properly the remit of the party. We have been quite firm in areas in
which we have no locus. There are statutory mechanisms available for
people who wish to make allegations.
''I have to say to you that the difficulty increasingly in the
Monklands area is that people are making allegations and refusing to
submit them to the scrutiny of statutory authorities.''
A preliminary inquiry by the Controller of Audit into the council's
books is under way and the council itself has appointed consultants to
look at recruitment procedures.
On job selection procedures, Mrs McGuire admitted: ''The council could
be open to criticism at the level of involvement that the councillors
have in the selection procedures at the lower echelons of council
officials. We have made no secret of that fact to the district Labour
group.''
Asked if they had identified a clique and were trying to break it up,
Mrs McGuire said: ''It is a considered move to ventilate the democracy
of the party.'' Pressed again, she said: ''There appeared to be a few
people holding many positions. And let me say quite clearly they were
democratically elected to hold these positions.''
Asked why they had not addressed the issue of sectarianism, party
secretary Jack McConnell said they had not found any trace of
sectarianism in their investigation. ''We are aware of significant
exceptions to that allegation, both in the council hierarchy and in the
local party. That allegation does not stand up that people are kept out
because they are Protestants. I would point out the dispute was between
members of the same faith.''
He was referring to the fierce row over the four Airdrie councillors
suspended after complaints that preference was being given to Coatbridge
over Airdire for capital spending projects. Of the 20 seats in the
council, 17 are held by Labour councillors, all of whom are Roman
Catholics. The other three are held by the SNP.
The report claimed the recommendations -- effective immediately --
would help ''restore credibility and renew confidence'' in the local
party, but critics felt that fresh allegations were likely as people
overcame their fear.
The public revelation that their local parties were both operating
under old-fashioned procedures which allowed a small caucus to wield
control must be an acute embarrassment for Mr Smith and Mr Clarke, but
they have continually refused to comment on the issue. Both were
consulted during the investigation and saw a draft copy of the report
before yesterday.
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