Labour Party suspends Sandwell councillor Mahboob Hussain AGAIN

Mahboob Hussain was only reinstated to the party at the start of this month.

His previous suspension was overturned after a police probe into land deals ended with no charges brought.

However, party bosses confirmed yesterday Councillor Hussain had again been suspended by Labour.

• MORE: Details leaked in Sandwell Council land deals probe

• MORE: Legal challenge delays Sandwell Council land sales report

A West Midlands Labour spokesman said last night: "Councillor Mahboob Hussain has been suspended from the Labour Party."

The news of his suspension emerged just days after Sandwell Council confirmed the long-delayed publication of a report into land sales at the authority had been pushed back even further.

The council had planned to publish the Wragge Report this week but has postponed that after a party named in the document sent a legal letter to the council.

The independent report was commissioned by former council leader Darren Cooper in April last year to look into the sale of six council-owned sites between 2011 and 2014.

Chief executive Jan Britton last week said the report would be published after the authority took Queen's Counsel advice.

Mr Britton subsequently wrote to councillors confirming the publication would be delayed by 'at least a few weeks' while the new legal challenge was dealt with.

His letter on Friday said: "As you are aware, it was the intention to publish the Wragge Report and legal opinion of the independent QC at some point in the week commencing May 16.

"The council has now received a pre-action protocol legal letter for a Judicial Review from solicitors acting on behalf of one of the parties named in the Wragge Report.

"I have taken further legal advice from the QC acting for the council and he advises that the publication must be delayed in order to deal with this legal challenge."

Councillor Hussain could not be contacted yesterday, while Sandwell Council chose to make no comment on his suspension.