Journal April 10 2007, The MP said " They have been crying like little wimps because they've seen the writing on the wall" Ronnie Cambell, MP

MP's fierce attack strains party ranks
Apr 10 2007
By Ross Smith, The Journal
An extraordinary row erupted in Northumberland's Labour Party yesterday after an MP tabled a Parliamentary motion slating the county council for "underperforming".
Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell accused the Labour leaders of the authority of "crying like little wimps" over a proposed shake-up of councils in Northumberland and Durham.
County council leader Bill Brooks said Mr Campbell was being "childish" over the motion, which was drawn up in the wake of the Government's shortlist of proposals for revamping councils.
The Government was expected to select a preferred option for shifting from two-tier councils to a unitary structure in Northumberland.
However, it chose to shortlist both a single, county-wide authority - favoured by county council leaders - and a plan to divide Northumberland in two - supported by district councils and all four MPs in the area.
Mr Campbell responded by tabling the motion, which says "this house regrets that Northumberland County Council is £37m in debt; hopes it can clear this debt before local government reorganisation is implemented; and further hopes that this underperforming council can go forward".
The veteran Blyth Valley MP said: "They've been crying like little wimps because they've seen the writing on the wall.
"I got really mad and I put that motion down."
The council last night denied Mr Campbell's claims about its debt, but did admit last year it needed to save £34m over four years. The MP said the council should deal with the issue before reorganisation, accused bosses of wanting district councils abolished so it could absorb their cash reserves and assets.
"It would give them a nice big Easter egg to pay off the debt," said Mr Campbell.
"To say they've underperformed is an understatement because they've underperformed in every department.
"I'm vexed and angry that this hopeless council think they can run Northumberland as a single unitary authority. They're not on this planet."
Coun Brooks said last night: "This is an outrageous slur on Northumberland County Council by Ronnie Campbell.
"I have no idea where these figures have come from, but this appears to be a very childish attempt to publicly attack the county council." He pointed to an Audit Commission review which awarded the council three stars out of four and gave it a "clean bill of health" over its finances.
So far, only one other MP - Fellow Labour member Paul Flynn, who represents Newport West in South Wales - has signed Mr Campbell's motion.
However, Berwick's Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith said: "Ronnie Campbell is right to be critical of the Labour leadership of Northumberland County Council. It underlines that creating a single unitary authority based on the existing county council would not make sense.
"All four of the county's MPs back a two unitary solution and we were all surprised that the Government is still considering both options rather that pursuing the two unitary approach."
The two-council option would see Northumberland split between the urban south-east, containing Blyth Valley and Wansbeck, and the rural north and west of the county, incorporating Alnwick, Berwick, Castle Morpeth and Tynedale.