Loudmouth Tory councillor expelled

The Conservative Party has expelled Neville Saunders, the disgraced former leader of Peterborough City Council, after he refused to withdraw derogatory comments made earlier this year about the people of Northern Ireland.

Senior Tory party officials completed an internal investigation into the remarks made by 73-year-old Mr Sanders who was suspended following an interview in which he commented on the death of an RIR soldier Paul Cochrane, who had committed suicide at a Co Armagh army barracks in 2001.

The row erupted following an interview given to the Belfast Telegraph as a follow up to a scrawled note sent by Mr Sanders in reply to Carrickfergus Borough Council who had written to councils throughout the UK to seek support for an investigation into the suicide. Mr Sanders wrote that "soldiers die… that is what they get paid for."

When contacted about the note, Mr Sanders in an foul-mouthed outburst responded that he was fed up paying taxes to cover for the "lazy" Irish, and that "Northern Ireland could f**k off and run its own affairs".

Although asked to withdraw the controversial remarks, Mr Sanders declined to do so and was suspended pending an inquiry by Conservative central office. He claimed that the media had provoked him into making the comments.

Now expelled, it is unclear whether Mr Sanders, who due to ill health has not attended recent meetings, will be forced to step down as a councillor. This remains in the hands of the local Conservative Association in Peterborough.

The bereaved Cochrane family had called for nothing less that the expulsion of the councillor following the revelation of the remarks about their son's death.

(SP)