Youth House supporter brings an end to his political career

Buy photos » Coun Terry Spencer has not been chosen to defend his Redditch North seat at next year’s county council elections. (s)

A REDDITCH county councillor fears his support for Redditch Youth House may have resulted in him being dropped from his seat.

Residents have now called on Redditch County Conservative Association to reverse the decision not to select Coun Terry Spencer to defend his Redditch North seat at next year’s Worcestershire County Council elections.

Coun Spencer believed convention meant the sitting councillor in a particular division was given the opportunity to fight the election but this time it was decided to have an open selection process during which he was not chosen.

Instead he was offered the chance to stand elsewhere, an option he has declined and has instead decided to retire from politics.

He told the Standard he found the decision mind-boggling and did not know why he had been deselected but suspected it could partly be because he had spoken out against the Conservative controlled county council’s decision to close Redditch Youth House.

“It’s a really odd decision, maybe it’s because I don’t always toe the line but I do it not as a hobby not as a living but because I’m genuinely interested in what is happening to the residents,” he said.

“Redditch is one of the best examples of community cohesion and I’ve enjoyed working and supporting the various ethnic groups, as well as bringing young and old together through my inter-generational trips and I’m supporting the Webheath Action Group now and this is what interests me, what’s happening in the community.

“I was only going to serve one more term anyway after 2013 as by the end of it I will have just turned 70 and my wife isn’t very well so we’ve just brought that plan forward. It’s a shame because I’ve made a lot of friends but I’ve too many other interests to be bitter about it and I wish the party well.”

Former Redditch Mayor Madge Tillsley MBE, who lives in Central Ward which forms part of the Redditch North Division, said: “He’s one of the best county councillors we have had around here and if we have any problems he sees them through and gets things done.

“We don’t just see him at election time we see him all the time. They are thinking of votes but he thinks of the people he represents.”

But Audrey Steel, chair of Redditch County Conservative Association, said the selection panel had decided to choose the best candidate for a particular ward rather than automatically choosing the sitting candidate.

She added she could not comment on why Coun Spencer had not been selected only that other candidates were preferred.

“Two selection meetings took place with Coun Spencer being at the first of these. There were more candidates than places available so those that were not selected were invited to put themselves forward for selection at the second selection meeting.

“Coun Spencer chose not to do that, so the selection panel selected from those candidates that were forward at the time.”

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