Councillor under fire in red route row

A veteran Wolverhampton councillor was today fighting for his political future over a remark he made about the A449 Stafford Road red route.

Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett has been reported to the standards committee.

The Liberal Democrat stalwart and city planning chief is under fire over claims he upset officers by saying they "slanted" reports on the future of the red route to suit the Labour group.

Councillor Gwinnett, who was first elected back in 1990, faces being fined, suspended, handed a written warning or an even more serious punishment.

The £2.4 million red route is being scrapped by the Tory-Liberal Democrat alliance next month despite officers producing a report claiming it has worked well.

The route, which has seven miles of repainted carriageway and more than 200 signs, was introduced by the Labour group in March last year, but after it lost power in May at the local elections, the new administration pledged to axe it on September 11.

Councillor Gwinnett's Liberal Democrat group has always been vocal about its dislike of the red route, based on feedback from traders and residents.

Councillor Gwinnett said: "This whole thing is a complete farce. The whole thing is a waste of money, because there is nothing to answer - I have done nothing wrong."

A behind-closed-doors meeting of the standards sub-assessment committee takes place next Wednesday.