CASUAL VACANCY CAUSES A STORM – LABOUR NOT HAPPY
Due to the resignation of councillor James Leaver, a vacancy occurred in the Park Hill Ward. Under the Local Elections and Register of Electors (Temporary Provisions) Act 1939, the KUDC did not need to conduct a by-election as is usually the case.
After advertising the vacancy, they received two applicants. Herbert Martin Woodhams of Windy Harbour and Eric Bernard Smith of Warwick Road.
Mr Woodhams was proposed by Cllr Akerman and seconded by Cllr Tisdale. Mr Smith was proposed by Cllr Hiorns and seconded by Cllr Rollason.
At a council meeting on 18th August, the vacancy was voted upon by the the eleven present members. The vote went as follows:
Woodhams 7 Smith 4
Mr Woodhams was formally declared the winner and duly elected as a councillor in the Park Hill Ward. This would last for as long as the Temporary Provisions Act 1939 remains in force.
Home Office Get Involved
However, that was not the end of the matter. At a meeting on 15th September, the council were informed by the clerk that he had received a letter from the Home Office following a complaint from Warwick and Leamington Divisional Labour Party. The Home Office was asking the KUDC for their observations upon a complaint in respect to the procedures adopted by the council at their meeting on 18th August when filling the vacancy.
The KUDC responded by submitting to the Home Office, certified extracts from their minutes plus newspaper adverts, together with a copy of the notice that advertised the vacancy on the Council House notice board, which invited applications for the appointment.
Mr Leaver was first elected in 1931 and was the only Labour representative on the council. We can only assume that the Labour Party did not put forward a candidate for the vacancy because they didn’t know it existed. There was no doubt it was advertised correctly by the council. But surely, Mr Leaver himself, would have mentioned to someone at the divisional party (and locally), that he was resigning his seat in Kenilworth?
After the rumpus was over, Mr Woodhams continued as a councillor, so the Home Office were obviously satisfied with the KUDCs submission of evidence. Two-years-later, Mr Woodmans received a CBE for his work in the aircraft industry, while a director at Armstrong Whitworth.
Chairman 1942-43 William Bostock