Political adviser quits over taped call

Published 5 Mar 2010 19:17 1 Comment

THE political adviser to the Royal Borough's Tory group resigned today after a recording was released allegedly of him plotting a smear campaign.

An audio recording has been posted on YouTube purporting to capture André Walker making a phone call while on a train on Tuesday night in which he discusses plans to replace deputy council leader Cllr Alison Knight.

Mr Walker said: "I was on the train on Tuesday night, I made some comments I shouldn't have, I was incredibly unlucky to sit next to a left wing activist who decided to record me.

"I put the council in a difficult position, I have apologised for that.

"A conversation I had was overheard, I said the wrong thing, I have apologised. That apology has gone to various people in the group including Alison Knight."

The audio recording was made by an anonymous passenger who has circulated it via email.

The transcript accompanying the recording being carried on YouTube includes bad language and the comment: "Well now what we need to do is, in May there's going to be a one to one where all the councillors are going to talk to the leader... we need to put the word round amongst our friends that she should be removed as deputy leader.

"No-one likes her, total liability. 'Total liability' should come up in all the discussions. We could put that out..."

The borough council said in a statement: "Effective from this morning, Mr André Walker has tendered his resignation from his position in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. This has been accepted and he is no longer employed by the council.

"The Royal Borough will not be making any further comment."

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• 

  Peter Hooper
  Unregistered User
  Mar 6, 14:34
  Report comment

  Personally I never knew the RBWM employed political advisors as Press Officers; though this may explain some of the politically biased press releases that have been issued recently.
  
  Of course it begs the question as to what support Mr Walker had amoungst Tory Councillors to oust Mrs Knight as Deputy Leader, and whether "The Great Leader" (Cllr Burbage) was involved ?
  
  A quick trawl of the internet threw up Mr Walkers' Wikiwak entry, his current position as President of the Greater Manchester Conservative Future and his position on the Executive Committee of the (Margaret Thatcher) Conservative Way Forward Group.
  
  Interestingly his name on the latter group appears right next to Russell Walters - Mr Adam Afriyie's Chief of Staff at the Palace of Westminster ! All I need to know now is whether Lord Ashcroft is somehow involved ?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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