Female staff had complained about axed Tory’s behaviour

Adrian Naylor, who has served as a councillor at Bradford Council for six years and been a member of the cabinet, was de-selected by Keighley and Ilkley Conservative Association and is now standing for re-election as an independent.

He said he has never been given a reason for why he was de-selected.

However, the Tories said today the selection committee was “quite likely” to be aware of “alleged behaviour by Coun Naylor towards senior female staff”.

A spokesman said this behaviour “ultimately resulted in Coun Naylor and his legal team having a meeting” with the authority’s chief executive Tony Reeves, council solicitor Suzan Hemingway and Tory chief whip Mike Ellis on February 1, 2011.

At the meeting, Coun Naylor’s solicitor and Ms Hemingway drafted a document, which Coun Naylor later signed.

Bradford Council has refused requests for details of any allegations that may have been made, stating that releasing the information would be in breach of the Data Protection Act.

Responding to questions made under the Freedom of Information Act, the authority wrote to the Yorkshire Post on February 4, 2011 – three days after the meeting between Coun Naylor and chief executive Mr Reeves, stating that no official complaints had been made about him, and “there were no current investigations into his conduct”.

When asked why a meeting had taken place if there was no investigation, the council refused to comment further.

Coun Naylor has also declined to comment, other than to deny any wrongdoing whatsoever.

The Tory spokesman said that as Coun Naylor initially stated an intention to appeal over his failure to be re-selected, the local party also felt unable to discuss potential reasons why he was de-selected for fear of prejudicing any future hearing.

But this month Coun Naylor abandoned the appeal process and, with a bitter campaign now raging for the Craven ward, a Tory spokesman today released a statement.

The spokesman said: “All Conservative candidates, including sitting councillors, are required to be approved to go on a candidate list of suitable persons prior to each set of elections. Candidates approved to go on the list can then apply to represent a specific ward.

“It is quite likely that those who made the decision not to include Coun Naylor on the approved list of people suitable to stand as Conservative candidates were aware of the alleged behaviour by Coun Naylor towards senior female staff, which ultimately resulted in the meeting between him, his legal representative and the chief executive and city solicitor.

“It may well, therefore, have influenced the decision that Coun Naylor was not suitable to stand in the name of the Conservative Party.”

Coun Ellis also said he had not seen the document signed by Coun Naylor, but confirmed the meeting had taken place in February last year, and who had been present.

A Bradford Council spokesman said it had nothing to add to its Freedom of Information Act response.

The battle for the Craven ward has turned into a bitter fight following Coun Naylor’s de-selection, culminating in Tory candidate Andrew Rowley being ejected from the public gallery at a meeting of Silsden Town Council.

Mr Rowley, who lives in Shipley, was asked to leave by council chairman Christopher Atkinson, who claimed he could not attend because he was not on the electoral roll for Silsden. Coun Atkinson is the election agent for Coun Naylor.

The Public Bodies (Admission of Meetings) Act 1960 states that town and parish councils must admit members of the public to their meetings.

Other candidates standing in the Craven ward are Val Carroll for Labour, Stuart Ebden for the Liberal Democrats and Robert Nicholls for the Greens.