Questions asked as Bexley Tory Cllr photographed at Bailey party
A photo showing Shaun Bailey at a party in Conservative Central office last December wasn’t only notable for featuring the former Mayoral candidate. The image also featured Bexley Conservative councillor Adam Wildman (Old Bexley and Sidcup).
Questions are now being asked about how and why the Bexley politician was at a party while restrictions were in place.
The Conservative Party have disciplined four staff and Bailey resigned from one committee post, though has refused to resign from his overall £58,000 job.
There is no word on what, if anything, happened with Wildman.
“Disgraceful”
The image was taken while London was in Tier 2 measures. The Transport Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday called the party “disgraceful”.
The leader of Bexley Labour Stefano Borello has written to Bexley Council leader Tereasa O ‘Neill asking about the incident. His letter asks:
• Whether Councillor Wildman holds the Conservative whip and that he remains Chair of the Pensions Committee and Vice Chair of the Resources and Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee?
• Whether you were aware of his attendance at the illegal party when he was appointed to these two roles in May 2021?
• Given their investigation, the date on which the Conservative Party informed you and your Chief Whip that one of your councillors had attended an illegal party held on their own premises?
• That you and your Chief Whip will co-operate with and hand over any documentation to the Metropolitan Police relating to Councillor Wildman’s attendance at the party?
• That you will join me in reporting Councillor Wildman to the monitoring officer in order that she can investigate whether he has breached the general principles of Councillor conduct by failing to act lawfully and lead by example and act in a way that secures public confidence in the role of Councillor?
Also photographed at the party was billionaire property developer Nick Candy, who was a strong supporter of Shaun Bailey.
Bailey’s housing policy during his campaign was to use public funds allocated towards “affordable housing” for little more than shared ownership benefitting developers, despite a severe shortage of truly affordable social homes. He even infamously stated the homeless could save £5,000 to buy one of the homes.
