The Labour Party has responded after a suspended Liverpool councillor was convicted for a second time in office.
David Cummings, who represents Wavertree for the party, swore at a 14-year-old girl after she put an opposition party leaflet criticising him through his letter box before last year's local elections. He was convicted of verbally abusing her after a trial last week.
It is the 57-year-old’s second conviction while a sitting councillor. He was convicted of criminal damage in 2020 for wrecking a neighbour’s CCTV camera.
Elected as a Labour councillor, Cllr Cummings has been suspended by the party since 2019. The move came after a string of complaints from women within the party. He was also suspended from the Labour whip on Liverpool Council and has been sitting separately from his colleagues in the council chamber ever since.
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Labour today confirmed that Cllr Cummings remains administratively suspended from the party pending investigation. He remains suspended from the city's Labour group as well.
A party spokesperson said: "The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken." It is understood the latest conviction will also be looked at by the party as part of the overall investigation.
With regards to the latest conviction, Sefton Magistrates’ Court heard last week that a young girl was delivering Lib Dem leaflets with her dad in the run up to the local election in May last year. Cllr Cummings was not up for re-election that year but was referenced on a leaflet being distributed by the Lib Dems during their campaign. The ECHO understands the leaflets referred to his prior criminal damage conviction.
The councillor found the leaflet shortly after the girl posted it through his letterbox. He then went out of his house and was verbally abusive, swearing at her and telling her to get rid of the leaflets. The girl told her father, who was delivering leaflets on the opposite side of the road, and he reported it to the police.
The CPS later charged Cummings with using threatening words likely to cause harassment or distress. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted at the end of last week. He was fined £96, ordered to pay £600 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
In June 2019, Cllr Cummings was caught on film launching into an expletive-ridden rant about a fellow Labour politician, former European Parliament member Theresa Griffin. In the foul-mouthed rant, he labelled Ms Griffin a ' patronising little f*****g b***h.'
