Labour suspends Brighton and Hove’s deputy mayor

The former Mayor of Brighton and Hove Anne Meadows has been suspended by the Labour Party.

Councillor Meadows, who is currently the deputy mayor, said that she had not been given a reason for her suspension but she denied any wrongdoing.

Brighton and Hove Labour Party said: “Councillor Anne Meadows is currently subject to an internal investigation.

“The Labour Party views this as a serious matter, and in accordance with Labour Party rules, Councillor Meadows is currently suspended from the Labour Party and from the Labour Group pending the outcome of these investigations.

“The Labour Party cannot comment any further.”

The party is investigating her conduct in relation to donations made to the mayor’s charities during her year in office, which ended last May.

Councillor Anne Meadows

She raised about £20,000 for the Federation of Disabled People, domestic abuse charity Rise and the Sussex Beacon, which helps people with HIV and AIDS.

Councillor Meadows represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean ward on Brighton and Hove City Council. She was first elected 19 years ago.

Until her suspension, which was agreed on Tuesday evening (16 April) and announced last night (Wednesday 17 April), she was the Labour spokesman on adult care and health.

At the same meeting the Labour group leader Councillor Gill Mitchell told party colleagues that she would be standing down from her job next month.

As deputy mayor Councillor Meadows is also the deputy chairman of the council and she sits on the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Joint Commissioning Board and the Community Safety Forum.

She said that she had had talks with the council’s legal team over the past month and that she would not be standing down as a councillor.

Sussex Police said that it had not received any complaints about Councillor Meadows nor was it investigating her.

And the force said that it had not received any reports of financial irregularities in relation to her term of office as mayor.