Council candidate hits back at flyer criticism

A county-council hopeful has hit back over claims that an election leaflet was misleading.
Terry Clark.Terry Clark.
Terry Clark.

At this month’s Amble Town Council, concerns were raised about a flyer promoting Labour candidate Terry Clark, ahead of May’s elections.

The leaflet states that ‘Amble has benefitted from a Labour council’ and that ‘Amble has done well in recent years from a Labour council’.

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It prompted a critical response from some members, saying that it made no reference to the Labour-run county administration.

Coun Helen Lewis said that it could ‘mislead people to think Amble Town Council is a Labour council, which it is not’.

Mayor Jane Dargue said the town council’s ‘political agenda begins and ends with Amble’, but added that she will back Mr Clark in the election.

Coun Jeff Watson, Conservative ward member for Amble West with Warkworth, has also raised his concerns.

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However, following the comments, Mr Clark – aiming to replace long-standing Labour colleague Robert Arckless in the Amble ward – issued a statement to the Gazette.

He said: “There was no intention to mislead people or the town council. Most importantly of all, I am keen to make sure that people across Amble know that the town is on the up.

“That isn’t just Labour, but a long-running partnership with the town council and development trust that puts party politics to one side for the good of Amble.

“This non-partisan relationship has delivered real change, working together to bring a new hotel, investing in Coquet Enterprise Park and investing in tourism and a range of schemes that will make a real benefit to Amble people.”