A SENIOR Dudley Labour councillor has been shunted to the side lines but party chiefs are remaining tight-lipped as to why.

Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood councillor Jackie Cowell had the whip withdrawn earlier this month and, as a result, no longer has any standing within Dudley Labour Group.

The party has confirmed councillor Cowell, a life-long devout Labour member and chairman of Dudley Council’s planning committee, remains a Labour councillor but can no longer attend Labour Group meetings or sit on council committees or bodies.

Councillor Pete Lowe, leader of Labour-led Dudley Council, has refused to give any reason for the decision – insisting it was "an internal Labour Party matter" - and a West Midlands Labour spokesman would only say: “I can confirm that Dudley Labour Group have withdrawn the whip from councillor Jackie Cowell. We don’t comment on individual cases.”

It remains unclear as to whether cllr Cowell will retain her development control committee chairmanship or her role as chairman of the Ernest Stevens Trusts Management Committee - with party chiefs saying simply that she has the right to appeal against the decision to withdraw the whip.

However - leader of Dudley's UKIP group, Councillor Paul Brothwood, believes the public has a right to know what’s going on.

He said the borough's Labour group was failing to be "open and transparent" by refusing to comment on the situation, adding: "The party should be honest about it. If it was one of my members and I felt they couldn't carry on in the group I would have to let the public know why because it's a public position.

"I'd give nothing private away if it was a private issue but I'd be open about it.

"I think this is typical of the whole party, when anything like this happens they go quiet and hope it will go away."

Cllr Cowell said: “I am finding this extremely difficult as I have never been nor ever expected to be in this situation.”

She claims the matter stems back to complaints she made about bullying within the party at the end of last year but she said: “The bullies were able to manipulate the process and vote me out.

“The process was accepted by all involved as being a disgrace. The bullying process which exists was not used but no explanation has ever been provided.”

Cllr Cowell claims she has been “systematically bullied by senior party figures outside of the Group” since she asked for help with her party commitments in 2011 while her mother – Conservative councillor Margaret Cowell – was dying.

She said she had been trying to fight the matter internally “as most party members are decent, honest and have integrity” but she added: “This is about the minority who are destroying our party.”

Cllr Lowe, who attended a special group meeting at which the decision was made to withdraw the whip from cllr Cowell, said he was “unaware of any allegations that Jackie personally has been bullied”, and a West Midlands Labour Regional spokesman added: “Any complaints of bullying or intimidation and allegations of misconduct are always taken very seriously. We encourage any member who has been the subject of bullying or intimidation to inform the party.”

In an email to the News – cllr Cowell initially indicated she would fight to overturn the decision, but she has since refused to comment further on the situation.

Cllr Lowe said he was not aware of whether an appeal had been or would be submitted but at time of going to press he told the News “the process hasn’t been exhausted”.