Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson suspended from Labour following fraud probe arrest

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has been suspended from the Labour Party after he was arrested in connection with a fraud probe into building deals in the city, sources have revealed.
By Hannah Brown
Published 4th Dec 2020, 19:08 BST
The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson who has been suspended from the Labour Party after he was arrested in connection with a fraud probe into building deals in the city, sources have said (photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire).The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson who has been suspended from the Labour Party after he was arrested in connection with a fraud probe into building deals in the city, sources have said (photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire).
The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson who has been suspended from the Labour Party after he was arrested in connection with a fraud probe into building deals in the city, sources have said (photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire).

The 62 year-old mayor has been taken to a police station for questioning on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.Merseyside Police said five men had been arrested on Friday as part of an investigation into building and development contracts in Liverpool.It is understood the mayor has been suspended from the Labour Party following his arrest.As well as Mr Anderson, a 62-year-old man, from Old Swan in Liverpool, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation, police said.A 33-year-old man from West Derby, Liverpool, and a 46-year-old man, from Ainsdale in Southport, are suspected of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.A 25-year-old man from Ormskirk, Lancashire, and a 72-year-old man from Aigburth in Liverpool were also detained on suspicion of witness intimidation.Liverpool City Council did not deny that the mayor had been arrested, simply saying in a statement: "Liverpool City Council is co-operating with Merseyside Police in relation to its ongoing investigation.

"We do not comment on matters relating to individuals."

Opposition councillor, Richard Kemp, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Liverpool, said if the arrest was confirmed Mr Anderson should stand down from official duties.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Cllr Kemp said: “Mayor Anderson must follow precedent and immediately stand down from all official duties until cleared or convicted. We all have deputies capable of carrying out our work.”

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.