Warren Bradley (politician)

Warren Bradley is a former firefighter and Liberal Democrat politician. He was an Independent councillor for the Wavertree ward, as well as the former Leader of Liverpool City Council.

Warren Bradley
Leader of Liverpool City Council
In office
5 December 2005 – 6 May 2010
Preceded byMike Storey
Succeeded byJoe Anderson
Personal details
Political partyLiberal Democrats (until 2011)
OccupationFirefighter, former politician

He was suspended from the Liberal Democrats in 2011, and subsequently expelled, in connection with allegations of an electoral offence. He later pleaded guilty to perjury.

Early career

Bradley became a councillor in Liverpool in May 2000.[1] Whilst a councillor, he continued to work as a firefighter.[2]

In 2001, he was the only member of the Merseyside Police Authority to vote against a pay rise for the Authority's members;[3] when the rise was passed, he donated the extra money he received as a result to the Mersey Regional Kidney Patient Support Group.[4]

Council leadership

Bradley was elected as leader of Liverpool City Council on 5 December 2005.[1] He took over from Mike Storey, who resigned after an investigation from the Standards Board for England found he had broken the councillors' code of conduct.[5] Bradley maintained his job as a firefighter whilst working as council leader.[6]

Following the 2010 United Kingdom local elections, he was replaced as council leader by Joe Anderson, after the Liberal Democrats were defeated by Labour in the election.[7] Two Liverpool councillors called for his resignation as leader of the Liverpool Liberal Democrats, claiming he had "worked hard" but not "hard enough".[8] A leadership challenge was mounted; however, Bradley won, and retained his position.[9]

Later in 2010, Warren criticised Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, for failing to oppose the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme.[10]

Resignation and perjury

Bradley resigned as leader of the Liverpool Liberal Democrats, and was suspended by the party, in 2011 after reports of irregularities when nominating his son as a candidate for election.[11][12] He initially denied the claims,[11][13] but later pleaded guilty to a charge of perjury, and was fined £1000.[14][15][16]

Bradley subsequently stood as an independent candidate for Wavertree ward in the 2012 Liverpool City Council election.[17] This decision caused consternation within the Liberal Democrats, and he was subsequently permanently excluded from the party.[18][19] He earned 28.8% of the vote, putting him in second place, just under 20% behind the Labour candidate, and just under 20% ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate.[20][21]

He was replaced as leader of the Liverpool Liberal Democrats by Councillor Paula Keaveney.[22]

References
  1. Nield, Larry (7 December 2005). "Bradleys may have to wait for their new kitchen; City Editor Larry Neild talks to Pauline Bradley, wife of the new leader of Liverpool council, Warren Bradley". Liverpool Daily Post. ProQuest 341585941.
  2. Woodhead, Jane (17 July 2002). "What are you spending your rise on? ECHO quizzes councillors over allowance increase". Liverpool Echo. ProQuest 339988093.
  3. Latta, Ian (16 November 2001). "Row over pounds 122k for authority". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 3 July 2020 – via ProQuest.
  4. Kelly, Andy (8 January 2002). "Councillor donates pounds 2,500 rise to charity". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 3 July 2020 – via ProQuest.
  5. "Liverpool starts race for new council leader". PublicFinance. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  6. Bartlett, David (29 June 2010). "City council leader goes full time and doubles pay". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 4 July 2020 – via ProQuest.
  7. Bartlett, David (8 May 2010). "Liverpool embraces Labour once more after 12 year gap: Anderson takes Town Hall with stunning triumph". Liverpool Echo. ProQuest 251669479.
  8. "City's Lib Dem leader 'should go'". BBC News. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  9. "Bradley survives leadership bid". BBC News. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  10. Mulholland, Hélène (9 July 2010). "Senior Liberal Democrat councillor rages at Clegg over schools". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  11. "Clegg critic quits in fraud probe". BBC News. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  12. "Liverpool Lib Dem leader quits in row over son". The Guardian. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  13. Ansari, Arif (18 April 2011). "Lib Dem Warren Bradley's resignation". BBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  14. "Ex-council head fined for perjury". BBC News. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  15. Diaz, Alex (16 March 2012). "Ex-council leader Warren Bradley fined for perjury". The Independent. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  16. Bartlett, David (17 March 2012). "Former Liverpool council leader Warren Bradley guilty of perjury and fined £1,000". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  17. Bartlett, David (10 January 2012). "Warren Bradley to stand as independent candidate in Liverpool council elections". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  18. Bartlett, David (18 January 2012). "Liberal Democrats to ban Warren Bradley from party". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  19. "Ex-Lib Dem Council Leader Warren Bradley Admits Perjury In Election Campaign". Huffington Post. Press Association. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  20. "Local Election Results 2012 - Liverpool". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  21. "Election results for Wavertree, 3 May 2012". councillors.liverpool.gov.uk. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  22. "Lib Dems appoint new group leader". BBC News. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
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