Calls have been made for a Liverpool Council cabinet member linked to a stalled property scheme to resign.
It was reported by the ECHO yesterday that Cllr Abdul Qadir was a member of a Liverpool Council taskforce set up to investigate buyer-funded property schemes in the city, known as fractional sales. Fractional schemes, where buyers put down large deposits to finance off-plan apartment schemes, attracted huge controversy following the collapse of high profile projects.
Cllr Qadir’s links to a large stalled scheme on Vauxhall Road in Vauxhall through his role with the Liverpool-based Vega Group, which owns MV Canal, the subsidiary company behind the scheme, have now been uncovered. As a result, Cllr Steve Radford, leader of the Liberal Party group, has called upon Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson to remove Cllr Qadir from his post.
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In an email, seen by the ECHO, Cllr Radford wrote: “If the reports are broadly correct of Cllr Abdul Qadir failing to avoid a conflict of significant interest and contrary to all the code of conduct, we wish Cllr Abdul Qadir to immediately resign, or at very least be suspended pending investigation from the role as a cabinet member.”
The Liverpool-based Vega Group owns MV Canal, a subsidiary company behind a large stalled scheme on Vauxhall Road in Vauxhall. Cllr Qadir declared his interest in the Vega Trading Group and MV Canal on the council's register of interests. Cllr Qadir said that his role with Vega Trading had not conflicted with his role as a councillor on various committees including the fractional taskforce.
He said his sole role with the company was to oversee imports and exports. He said the MV Canal scheme on Vauxhall Road was not fractional.
He added: "There has been no conflict of interest with my current role as cabinet member for neighbourhoods."
Cllr Richard Kemp, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said Mayor Anderson and city solicitor Dan Fenwick should investigate if Cllr Qadir should have declared an interest, but Cllr Radford went a step further by calling for his resignation. In his email, the Tuebrook and Stoneycroft councillor said a failure by the Mayor to take action could force his group to move against her.
He said: "If you fail to do so we would wish to move a no confidence vote in your role as Mayor." Cllr Qadir has represented his Picton ward since 2011 and was re-elected for a third term in 2019.
Cllr Qadir was appointed cabinet member for neighbourhoods last year when Mayor Anderson took up her role as city leader.
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