THERE has been a ‘cull’ of senior Labour party councillors as the leader and deputy leader of North-East council have not been selected to stand in May’s elections, according to one member.

Last month, a leaked document showed the authority’s Labour group was ‘at war with itself’ and it was revealed that the reason one councillor was overlooked for selection was because of claims he was failing to support the party’s Redcar parliamentary candidate, Anna Turley, who is standing in the General Election in May.

Council leader George Dunning defied Labour North’s request to not speak publicly about the row and stood by Eston councillor Steve Goldswain.

He was told that he had not been selected by the party to represent his Teesville ward.

Deputy leader Sheelagh Clarke and Councillor Mark Hannon, the council’s cabinet member for economic development, both failed to secure the party’s support.

Last night, the outspoken councillor branded the decision to not select senior members as a ‘disgrace’.

“I’m devastated,” said Cllr Hannon. “I have been a Labour supporter since I was 16-years-old and I have always supported the party. I was born and bred in the ward that I have represented for 14 years and I have always fought to give something back to the community.

“I’m not a crony of the Labour Party, I stand up for what I believe is right, the Labour Party has always been a vehicle for me but the party is no longer the one that I joined and have worked hard for.

“Some of the people who have been selected have been members for a really short period of time – this is a cull, a massacre, of longstanding Labour councillors and members.”

Councillors Dunning and Clarke were unavailable for comment last night.

In the past month other senior members of the council’s labour group lost out in the selection process.

The other councillors who were not reselected by the party were the chairman of Cleveland Fire Authority, Councillor Brian Briggs; chairman of the council’s planning committee, Councillor Brian Hogg; member of the cabinet for corporate resources, Councillor Norman Pickthall, and the fifth councillor is serving mayor, Carole Simms.

However, Councillor Carole Simms, won her appeal and can seek to apply for reselection as a Labour candidate.

A joint statement has been issued by Redcar Constituency Labour Party, Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland Constituency Labour Party and Redcar & Cleveland Local Campaign Forum, which includes MP Tom Blenkinsop and Redcar candidate Anna Turley.

It reads: "It is time for change. Local Labour Party members have begun choosing a fresh, exciting and committed new team seeking to serve the people of Redcar and Cleveland.

"Council Leader George Dunning and Deputy Leader Sheelagh Clarke have served the public for many years with great dedication and have much to be proud of. However, local Labour Party members have today voted to replace them with other candidates for the ward of Teesville.

"We have a wealth of talent in the Labour Party and the bar has been set very high this year. The people of Redcar and Cleveland deserve the very best representation that the Labour party has to offer in the local community, and members have chosen some fantastic new local candidates."