Gorilla picture Tory suspended (From This Is Lancashire)

Gorilla picture Tory suspended

8:00am Thursday 26th February 2009

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A LOCAL Conservative councillor has been suspended by his party following a row over an internet blog.

Cllr Bob Allen is being investigated by Bolton’s Tory leader Cllr John Walsh after he posted a picture of a gorilla next to a story about a fellow councillor on his personal online blog.

As reported in The Bolton Newson Monday, Cllr Allen, under a piece entitled ‘Not another Executive member’, criticised the use of photographs of the Labour Executive — and particularly Cllr Ebrahim Adia — on the front of the council’s website, which he described it as an “ego trip at tax-payers’ expense”.

His actions were condemned by council leader Cllr Cliff Morris, and Cllr Allen, who has represented Heaton and Lostock ward since 2004, issued an apology via his “Tell It To Me Like It Is” blogger site.

He maintains that the picture was the first “silly” picture he found on the net and that he had not meant to cause any offence to Cllr Adia.

But at last night’s meeting of the full council, Cllr Walsh said he would not allow Cllr Allen’s actions to “distract from the work of the Conservative Group”.

He said: “The use of websites and blogs has become one of the fastest-growing phenomena of our times. It is not one with which I am personally totally engaged but other I know are.

“As with all forms of communication, it is beholden upon those who use them to ensure their words and actions cannot be misconstrued. This is even more important to those in public life at whatever level.”

Cllr Morris said he had no comment to make and that it was an internal matter for the Conservative Group.

Neither Cllr Adia, who has represented the Rumworth ward since 2002, nor Cllr Allen were available for comment last night.

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