A Wirral councillor who was expelled from the Labour Party began singing a song about freedom in an unusual council meeting intervention.
Cllr Jo Bird sang Sia’s Bird Set Free during a debate about the local authority’s draft Local Plan - though the majority of her speech revolved around her time as a councillor.
Cllr Bird currently represents Bromborough for the Green Party and was recounting her experience after she was expelled from the Labour Party.
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She was suspended in March 2019 and February 2020 but in November 2021, she was expelled retrospectively for speaking at an event organised by Labour Against the Witchhunt, a controversial group that has now been proscribed by the party. She later joined the Greens in 2022.
Cllr Bird, who is Jewish, said: “My first full Council meeting in 2018 also debated the Local Plan, and because people who live in my ward come first, I’ve not voted to build on our green belt and I’ve not voted for Hoylake Golf Resort. I’ve voted for justice for New Ferry, for real living wages in our cost of living crisis, to insulate homes, for fair taxation, safe routes to school, to fully restore our train services and save our libraries.
“One day in March 2019 in quite a few hours, I was smeared in the media, suspended by the Labour Party, accused of antisemitism and I stood right here in this council chamber to speak.
“Tory councillors proposed that I should not be heard, and credit where it's due, Wirral Labour councillors and Lib Dems and (Green Group leader) Cllr (Pat) Cleary voted that I have the constitutional right and freedom to speak and thank you.
“The Conservative councillors walked out but fast forward in our democracy to autumn 2021 when the Labour Party expelled me retrospectively alongside hundreds of members. I’m now free to talk about natural justice and the racism faced by my Jewish community.”
Mayor Jeff Green interrupted Cllr Bird to ask whether she "could bring it back to the subject for us all please because I want to hear your views on the Local Plan.”
Cllr Bird said others had been allowed to make broader points and continued that she joined the Green Party, calling them principled and hard working.
She finished: “This song is for everyone who yearns for freedom, justice, equality and democracy.”
She then began to sing, “I don't care if I sing off key. I find myself in my melodies. I sing for love, I sing for Greens. I shout it out like a bird set free. I shout it out like a bird set free.”
She was later interrupted by Mayor Jeff Green who said her time was up “which is a shame as I was really enjoying that song.”
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