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An unholy row

Laura Thistlethwaite
7/ 8/2008

AN UNHOLY row has erupted after the Labour Party distributed leaflets calling for a Northenden vicar to resign.

Reverend Greg Forster, rector of St Wilfrid’s Church, comes under fire in a newsletter sent to residents in Northenden, Northern Moor and Benchill.

The Labour Rose, edited by former councillor Mike Kane, carries a bold red headline urging the vicar to ‘Resign Now’.

It accuses Rev Forster of acting in a ‘party political way’ for backing a proposed parish council in Northenden, and brands him a ‘disgrace’ for allowing Liberal Democrat Martin Eakins to be pictured at St Wilfrid’s School more than two years ago.

Rev Forster, school governor and president of Northenden Civic Society, said he had become a ‘political football’ in a fight between the Lib Dems and Labour.

Mike Kane, a Labour councillor for 17 years, was narrowly defeated in May’s local elections by Martin Eakins who won by just eight votes.

The article says: "Northenden Labour Party has called on Vicar Greg Forster to resign. He clearly behaved in a party political way, backing a new tax on Northenden residents and appearing on Lib Dem leaflets.

"He used his ‘parish magazine’ for this propaganda in the run up to the recent local government elections. His behaviour on this and other instances related to the images of St Wilfrid’s School has been a disgrace and he should go."

The vicar, upset by the accusations, feels he has been unfairly blamed for Mr Kane’s defeat.

Rev Forster said: "I was shocked to see the piece. I did indicate that I thought a civil parish council would be a good idea, but the issue became a political football.

"Mike Kane seems to blame me for a very tight defeat in the local elections, because I supported a parish council. However, I think that particular issue lost Martin Eakins as many votes as he gained from it. There’s a lot of point-scoring going on between Labour and the Lib Dems in Northenden."

Rev Forster said he knew it "was not the done thing" when Mr Eakins had appeared on the picture at St Wilfrid’s School, and said that Mr Kane had rung him about it. Rev Forster said that it happened two years ago and he thought it had been dealt with at the time.

The Lib Dems used his name on a leaflet, stating he supported a parish council.

Mr Kane, now working as a parliamentary assistant, said: "The article was based on the feedback we’ve received – a number of people have complained to me because, as a vicar, he shouldn’t appear party political.

"We’re terribly upset, we’ve helped the parish for 20 years.

"He wrote a number of critical things in the run-up to the election and was quoted on a Lib Dem leaflet which went out the day before, giving us no time to respond. It was no way for a member of the cloth to behave."

Councillor Eakins said: "Greg has always supported campaigns that benefit the community, wherever they have come from. Although we conducted the petition, it was signed by supporters of all parties and none."