• Contact
  • About
  • Authors
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
North East Bylines
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • European News
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Science
    • UK News
    • World News
    Set her free placards

    “There is still time to stop this flight”: protest against forced deportations of women at 10.30pm tonight

    Steve Bray and police officer

    “They might as well have called it the Steve Bray law”: huge support for Mr Stop Brexit

    Police speak to Steve Bray

    Noisy protest warning and now a court summons for Mr Stop Brexit

    maths mind

    The mathematics of human behaviour: how my new model can spot liars and counter disinformation

    woman on boat

    Where have all the EU citizens gone, long time passing…?

    to seek asylum is not a crime

    Momentous week ahead for women trapped in detention in County Durham

    RMT official picket

    Rail strikes: is class solidarity back?

    Curfew bracelets

    Curfew bracelets

    Sign saying welcome refugees

    World refugee day 2022

    Trending Tags

    • Ukraine
  • Culture
    • All
    • Animation
    • Books
    • Illustrations & More
    • Music
    • Performance
    • Poetry
    • Social Media
    • Theatre
    • TV & Radio
    Arial performer

    South Tyneside’s parade set to be the most colourful yet

    Rich and poor

    They want this

    doctorbird

    Doctorbird (Jamaica 1998)

    Curfew bracelets

    Curfew bracelets

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    gymnast

    Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

    Kennedy and Rhind

    Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

    Hoppings

    The Hoppings is back in Newcastle!

    Chi Onwurah MP

    Chi backs watchdog for fast fashion industry

    High Force waterfall

    Feeling the full force of Teesdale at the High Force Hotel

    A group of swimmers stand in the sea at sunrise.

    Interview with cold water swimmer Sarah Rowland

    Meat feast pizza

    Bella Italia launches new menu

    Ukrainian necklace

    Ukrainian Cultural Heritage: jewellery, accessories and some morale boosting art

    Leek and mushroom bake

    Leek and mushroom bake

    Trending Tags

    • Business
      • All
      • Economy
      • Rural
      • Technology
      • Trade
      • Voluntary Sector
      Friends Action North East

      Friends Action North East: supporting people’s lives

      Söke

      Reflections on Söke and lessons to learn

      Visitors in the former Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland

      Seventeen Nineteen: Hidden Stories in Sunderland church

      Refugee week

      Sing up for refugee week in Newcastle!

      Lachlan and Ryan

      Top sports stars step in to help male suicide charity

      Older person enjoying TikTok

      Go glammas! How older people are turning to TikTok to dispel myths about ageing

      A group of volunteers in high vis jackets, with their backs to the camera, operate a table giving out food distributions.

      Charity helps feed communities amidst the cost of living crisis

      young people talking

      Counselling support for young refugees in the North East

      Russia and China flags with two people shaking hands

      Russia’s quasi-colonial dependence on China

      Trending Tags

      • Region
        • All
        • Co. Durham
        • North East
        • Northumberland
        • Teesside
        • Tyneside
        • Wearside
        Arial performer

        South Tyneside’s parade set to be the most colourful yet

        RMT official picket

        Rail strikes: is class solidarity back?

        Visitors in the former Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland

        Seventeen Nineteen: Hidden Stories in Sunderland church

        Nigel Todd

        Nigel Todd remembered: a socialist legacy

        Three boys stand in front of a man. All three of them are stood in front of a fire engine.

        Firefighting Uncle helping to raise £260,000 for nephew with rare cancer

        Kennedy and Rhind

        Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

        Campaigning for Samuel in Loftus Market Place, 1906 - "More Boots - less Beer."

        Opposition to the first immigration bill

        dead fish

        Defra on the defensive over toxic dumping in Tees Bay

        Secret Garden

        The Secret Garden at Hexham Abbey Gardens

        Trending Tags

        • Opinion
          Titanic coming out of Southampton

          The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

          There is an England

          There is an England

          Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

          The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

          Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

          TV Agency staff jumping in the air

          The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

          North East of County Dublin

          North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

          North Sea oil rig

          Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

          Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

          Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

          close up on a child's eye

          Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Brexit
          • Education
          • Environment
          • European News
          • Health
          • Politics
          • Science
          • UK News
          • World News
          Set her free placards

          “There is still time to stop this flight”: protest against forced deportations of women at 10.30pm tonight

          Steve Bray and police officer

          “They might as well have called it the Steve Bray law”: huge support for Mr Stop Brexit

          Police speak to Steve Bray

          Noisy protest warning and now a court summons for Mr Stop Brexit

          maths mind

          The mathematics of human behaviour: how my new model can spot liars and counter disinformation

          woman on boat

          Where have all the EU citizens gone, long time passing…?

          to seek asylum is not a crime

          Momentous week ahead for women trapped in detention in County Durham

          RMT official picket

          Rail strikes: is class solidarity back?

          Curfew bracelets

          Curfew bracelets

          Sign saying welcome refugees

          World refugee day 2022

          Trending Tags

          • Ukraine
        • Culture
          • All
          • Animation
          • Books
          • Illustrations & More
          • Music
          • Performance
          • Poetry
          • Social Media
          • Theatre
          • TV & Radio
          Arial performer

          South Tyneside’s parade set to be the most colourful yet

          Rich and poor

          They want this

          doctorbird

          Doctorbird (Jamaica 1998)

          Curfew bracelets

          Curfew bracelets

        • Lifestyle
          • All
          • Fashion
          • Food & Drink
          • Health & Fitness
          gymnast

          Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

          Kennedy and Rhind

          Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

          Hoppings

          The Hoppings is back in Newcastle!

          Chi Onwurah MP

          Chi backs watchdog for fast fashion industry

          High Force waterfall

          Feeling the full force of Teesdale at the High Force Hotel

          A group of swimmers stand in the sea at sunrise.

          Interview with cold water swimmer Sarah Rowland

          Meat feast pizza

          Bella Italia launches new menu

          Ukrainian necklace

          Ukrainian Cultural Heritage: jewellery, accessories and some morale boosting art

          Leek and mushroom bake

          Leek and mushroom bake

          Trending Tags

          • Business
            • All
            • Economy
            • Rural
            • Technology
            • Trade
            • Voluntary Sector
            Friends Action North East

            Friends Action North East: supporting people’s lives

            Söke

            Reflections on Söke and lessons to learn

            Visitors in the former Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland

            Seventeen Nineteen: Hidden Stories in Sunderland church

            Refugee week

            Sing up for refugee week in Newcastle!

            Lachlan and Ryan

            Top sports stars step in to help male suicide charity

            Older person enjoying TikTok

            Go glammas! How older people are turning to TikTok to dispel myths about ageing

            A group of volunteers in high vis jackets, with their backs to the camera, operate a table giving out food distributions.

            Charity helps feed communities amidst the cost of living crisis

            young people talking

            Counselling support for young refugees in the North East

            Russia and China flags with two people shaking hands

            Russia’s quasi-colonial dependence on China

            Trending Tags

            • Region
              • All
              • Co. Durham
              • North East
              • Northumberland
              • Teesside
              • Tyneside
              • Wearside
              Arial performer

              South Tyneside’s parade set to be the most colourful yet

              RMT official picket

              Rail strikes: is class solidarity back?

              Visitors in the former Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland

              Seventeen Nineteen: Hidden Stories in Sunderland church

              Nigel Todd

              Nigel Todd remembered: a socialist legacy

              Three boys stand in front of a man. All three of them are stood in front of a fire engine.

              Firefighting Uncle helping to raise £260,000 for nephew with rare cancer

              Kennedy and Rhind

              Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

              Campaigning for Samuel in Loftus Market Place, 1906 - "More Boots - less Beer."

              Opposition to the first immigration bill

              dead fish

              Defra on the defensive over toxic dumping in Tees Bay

              Secret Garden

              The Secret Garden at Hexham Abbey Gardens

              Trending Tags

              • Opinion
                Titanic coming out of Southampton

                The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

                There is an England

                There is an England

                Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

                The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

                Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

                TV Agency staff jumping in the air

                The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

                North East of County Dublin

                North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

                North Sea oil rig

                Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

                Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

                Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

                close up on a child's eye

                Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

              No Result
              View All Result
              North East Bylines
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home News Politics

              Hartlepool Tories attend council meeting despite declaration of a boycott in the Cranney case

              Update on the Hartlepool Tories and Councillor Cranney story. More twists and turns.

              Julia MazzabyJulia Mazza
              25-05-2022 16:34
              in Politics, Teesside
              Civic Centre, Hartlepool

              Civic Centre, Hartlepool from google streetview 2020

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
              ADVERTISEMENT

              All but two Tory councillors attended the Hartlepool Annual Council Meeting (ACM) last night, 24 May. Cllr Gordon Cranney, previously Conservative and now an Independent, also showed his face.

              Anywhere else the appearance of the ruling political group at the ACM would be a non-story. 

              But this is Hartlepool. 

              The ACM is usually a staid affair, rubber-stamping appointments for committee chairs, Leader and Ceremonial Mayor that have been decided in advance by the ruling party or coalition.

              Not so in Hartlepool, where the presiding Conservatives had declared a boycott of all council meetings and instructed their Independent coalition partners and the Labour opposition to do likewise. 

              Gordon Cranney, Conservative councillor

              The Conservatives’ bizarre position came about in a row with one of their own, Cllr Gordon Cranney. Following an incident on 6 February, Cranney pleaded guilty at Middlesbrough Magistrates Court on 28 April to the “assault of a woman by beating”. The woman in question was his wife.

              The court hearing was just a week before the local elections. By a quirk of a Boundaries Commission review, Cranney was up for re-election just a year after his first victory as part of the new blue wave in May 2021.

              Cranney was referred to a 24-month Building Better Relationships course and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £95 and costs of £85. The tariff was not enough to exclude him from holding local public office, but he remained silent about his court case until the polling stations were near to closing on 5 May. The local Tories swore they were unaware of Cranney’s court case.

              Cranney then announced his resignation as councillor, the Tory party confirmed it and stated that Cranney had been suspended from their party pending an enquiry. 

              Then Cranney retracted his resignation announcement and left (or was expelled from) the Conservatives. 

              In response Cllr Mike Young, Leader of the council’s Tory Group, declared a boycott of all council meetings until Cranney steps down.

              The Labour Group decided not to follow Tory orders and stated that they would still attend meetings to fulfil their constitutional duties.

              And so the Tories deftly deflected the blame for their dubious choice of election candidate onto the Labour Party.

              Mike Young’s words of moral outrage at his ex-colleague would have had more traction if Cranney’s earlier behaviour towards a female councillor had not come to light.  Cllr Sue Little, an Independent, shares Seaton Ward with Cranney. In November last year she complained to the local Tory leadership and the police about his aggressive WhatsApp messages. “I can honestly say I was petrified of this man”, she wrote in a Facebook post.

              Yet Cranney was again backed for re-election as the Conservative candidate. 

              Cranney’ decision to remain as a councillor and Labour’s response

              As the ACM approached, Cranney re-asserted his decision to remain an Independent councillor for the next four years, posting on Facebook, “I will help everyone where needed, no matter what.”

              There are calls from Labour as well as Conservatives for Cranney to resign. Labour Group Deputy Leader Jonathan Brash declared in a Facebook post:


              “Councillor Gordon Cranney of Seaton ward was convicted of spousal battery on 28 April this year. He failed to disclose this to the electorate of Seaton ahead of the local elections on 5 May, which he went on to win…


              “Let me be 100% clear. A criminal conviction for violence against a woman is completely incompatible with public office.”

              Labour Councillor Ben Clayton told North East Bylines:

              “The most upsetting thing is there will be people in his ward who are or have been victims of domestic violence, some of whom will have even voted for him. It came out very late on polling day, by which point it was unlikely to make a difference.”

              He also suggested that Cranney should resign then stand again for re-election if he chose to.

              “If he’s so confident about how good a councillor he is, you’d think he would be willing to run in a by election as an independent and see what the people think.”

              It’s a sentiment shared by Cllr Sue Little who now faces the endurance test of representing her ward with Cranney for the next four years.

              A unanimous motion is passed

              At the ACM Cllr Brash proposed a motion  banning Cranney from attending all committees and any other council organised events, as well as banning him from council premises.

              The motion proposed that the borough’s Chief Solicitor be tasked with working through the legal process to make it happen. This would be done in conjunction with the Audit and Governance Committee. 

              Cllr Brash’s motion was unanimously agreed. Even Cranney voted for it.

              ADVERTISEMENT
              Previous Post

              Newcastle ranks among Europe’s top 20 cities for raising children

              Next Post

              European Movement describes failures of leadership and a toxic culture at the centre of Number 10

              Julia Mazza

              Julia Mazza

              Julia Mazza grew up in Middlesbrough, the descendant of Irish Famine refugee ironworkers and a Tyne shipyard union organiser. She is in awe of how the North East industrial workers, enduring intense hardship, still managed to create a formidable labour movement. Retired after a career in campaigns and commercial and policy research, she now lives in London

              Related Posts

              Set her free placards
              Politics

              “There is still time to stop this flight”: protest against forced deportations of women at 10.30pm tonight

              byNorth East Bylines
              June 29, 2022
              Steve Bray and police officer
              Brexit

              “They might as well have called it the Steve Bray law”: huge support for Mr Stop Brexit

              byYvonne Wancke
              June 28, 2022
              Police speak to Steve Bray
              Brexit

              Noisy protest warning and now a court summons for Mr Stop Brexit

              byYvonne Wancke
              June 28, 2022
              to seek asylum is not a crime
              Politics

              Momentous week ahead for women trapped in detention in County Durham

              byNorth East Bylines
              June 26, 2022
              RMT official picket
              Politics

              Rail strikes: is class solidarity back?

              byAde JBones Van Vliet
              June 26, 2022
              Next Post
              Anna Bird CEO EMUK

              European Movement describes failures of leadership and a toxic culture at the centre of Number 10

              Want to support us?

              Can you help North East Bylines to grow and become more sustainable with a regular donation, no matter how small?  

              DONATE

              Sign up to our newsletter

              If you would like to receive the North East Bylines regular newsletter, straight talking direct to your inbox, click the button below.

              NEWSLETTER

              LATEST

              Arial performer

              South Tyneside’s parade set to be the most colourful yet

              June 29, 2022
              Set her free placards

              “There is still time to stop this flight”: protest against forced deportations of women at 10.30pm tonight

              June 29, 2022
              Steve Bray and police officer

              “They might as well have called it the Steve Bray law”: huge support for Mr Stop Brexit

              June 28, 2022
              Police speak to Steve Bray

              Noisy protest warning and now a court summons for Mr Stop Brexit

              June 28, 2022
              maths mind

              The mathematics of human behaviour: how my new model can spot liars and counter disinformation

              June 27, 2022
              Rich and poor

              They want this

              June 27, 2022

              MOST READ

              Arial performer

              South Tyneside’s parade set to be the most colourful yet

              June 29, 2022
              Set her free placards

              “There is still time to stop this flight”: protest against forced deportations of women at 10.30pm tonight

              June 29, 2022
              Steve Bray and police officer

              “They might as well have called it the Steve Bray law”: huge support for Mr Stop Brexit

              June 28, 2022
              Police speak to Steve Bray

              Noisy protest warning and now a court summons for Mr Stop Brexit

              June 28, 2022

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Audio Beach Brexit Business castle leazes climate activism Co. Durham cost of living crisis Culture defra democracy ducklings Economy Education Environment fire and rescue firefighter Food & Drink food poverty Health Health & Care Home Affairs just stop oil Lifestyle Local Lockdown Northumberland Peace Performance Politics rescue Science Social Media Teesside TV & Radio Tynemouth Tyneside Ukraine volunteer Wearside

              North East Bylines is a regional online newspaper that supports citizen journalism. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond.

              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Contact
              • About
              • Letters
              • Donate
              • Privacy
              • Bylines network
              • Shop

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Brexit
                • Education
                • Environment
                • UK News
                • Transport
                • World News
              • Politics
              • Opinion
              • Lifestyle
                • Culture
                • Music
                • Poetry
              • Business
                • Economy
                • Technology
                • Trade
              • Donate
              • Newsletter sign up
              • Boriiis Cartoons
              • Authors

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In