'Rates appeals may topple Council'
A PROMINENT Alliance spokesman believes ratepayers' appeals to the district auditor could topple the present Labour-dominated Waltham Forest Council.
Peter Leighton, a General Election candidate in Mayfor Walthamstow, has added his name to the list ofobjectors applying for the surcharge and disqualification of a number of councillors.
He claims they misspent public money when theybanned advertising in the Times Educational Supplement during last year's print dispute at Wapping.
As a barrister and former chairman of theeducation committee, Mr Leighton headed a campaign to force the council to reinstate the advertisements.
His grounds were that teacher recruitment wasbeing damaged and using other publications was causing a vast overspend on the education committee budget.
It was Mr Leighton, who advised the Ratepayers' Action Group to object to the District Brian Skinner at the time of the 62 per cent rate increase.
Mr Leighton commented this week: "I always believed the legal challenge to the rate in the High Court was a long shot and carried a risk for the objectors.
"This procedure has excellent prospects of success, carries no risk for the objectors and maximum risk for the councillors concerned."
He added "Some of us believe that the time for cleaning up local governmentin Waltham Forest is long overdue.
"Before the district auditor I am sure a number of chickens will be coming home to roost."
Alliance spokesman Peter Leighton.
