LEIGH Labour bosses have called on their regional HQ to start the inquiry following suspension of Cllr Mark Hale (writes Malcolm RYDING).

Cllr Hale, whose bid to become Labour's candidate at the next General Election was scuppered following the laptop computer scandal which hit Wigan Council, is disqualified from the selection process while under suspension.

Now, The Journal understands, the Leigh Constituency Labour Party executive has said it will not agree to the preliminary selection process starting until the NEC initiated inquiry is concluded.

A special meeting on Monday at Abbey Street Labour Club is believed to have unanimously agreed to write calling for the inquiry to start.

Meetings of Hope Carr and Leigh Central Labour branches and local memebers of the GMBU have renewed their support for Cllr Hale, who is still banned from holding any Labour Party office, although he remains a councillor.

Cllr Hale and his supporters have always seen the suspension as a Labour Millbank HQ bid to impose their own preferred candidate on the selection process.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.