A Liverpool councillor has been expelled from the Labour Party.
Cllr David Cummings has represented the Wavertree ward on Liverpool Council since 2015. In 2019 he was suspended by the party 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.
Cllr Cummings has also received two criminal convictions during his time as an elected member. In January 2020 he was found guilty of criminal damage after breaking CCTV cameras installed at the social housing block where he lived.
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Earlier this year he was found guilty of threatening behaviour after swearing at a 14-year-old girl after seeing her and her dad delivering Liberal Democrat leaflets during a local election campaign in May 2021. The ECHO understands the leaflet made reference to Cummings’ previous conviction for criminal damage, received after he damaged a neighbour’s CCTV camera.
He was initially convicted of using threatening words likely to cause fear or distress at Sefton Magistrates Court in April. Records from Liverpool Crown Court indicate Cummings appeared on July 29 to appeal against his conviction against the girl and his appeal was rejected.
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.'
An email today sent from Liverpool Labour group chief executive Ruth Bennett to fellow councillors - and seen by the ECHO - stated: "Councillor David Cummings has been excluded from membership of the Labour Party and therefore the Liverpool Labour Group."
A Labour Party spokesperson said: The Labour Party does not comment on internal party matters and all complaints are investigated in line with our rules and procedures.
In a response to the ECHO, Cllr Cummings claimed he had actually resigned from the party.
He said: "I have resigned due to the overt marginalisation compounding my mental health conditions that I suffer from without any opportunity to justify myself.
"I do not support the Council Tax increases yet the council services are below standard, I did not support the arms trade supported by L.C.C. and I am ashamed of the Bico debacle.
"I have a proven positive reputation in Wavertree and the locals respect me for the positive intervention support I have given, “others have clandestinely undermined me due to my good reputation and being working class as The Labour Councillors are middle class. They hated me standing up for people who struggle."
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