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Politicians in heated row over Irish roots A Belfast
politician now living in Newcastle has had her Irishness used as a political
negative by a rival councillor.
Durham Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods is demanding an apology from local
councillor Carol Woods who distributed a leaflet referring to Ms Blackman-Woods
as an ‘outsider’ because she was ‘born and bred in Belfast’.
Councillor Woods lost to Ms Blackman-Woods in the last parliamentary election.
The leaflet was posted by the Liberal Democrats to homes throughout Durham
City urging them to sign a petition to ‘Defend Democracy in Durham’
in response to plans for a single unitary authority.
It said: “Durham City’s New Labour MP was born and bred in
Belfast and it is clear she is out of touch with the views of local people.
“I would call on all local residents to sign this petition against
the Unitary Authority to show these outsiders who threaten our jobs and
services that we are not prepared to give up without a fight.”
Ms Blackman-Woods contacted the Darlington and Durham Racial Equality
Council.
She said: “The Lib Dems have offended anyone who fell in love with
Durham as a student or adult and chose to make it their home, by branding
them as ‘outsiders’.”
Chair of the Darlington and Durham Racial Equality Council Marion Khan-Willis
said: “Councillor Woods is criticising the MP, not for her stance
on a particular issue which would be perfectly acceptable political campaigning,
but because she was born in Belfast.”
Councillor Woods said in response: ““I was certainly not attacking
Roberta because she was born and raised in Belfast, I was born in London
for goodness sake.
“But I was criticising her for ignoring the wishes of the Durham
residents. For her to try to bring race into the issue is laughable.” |
