Former Labour politician Derek Hatton and wife deny misconduct in public office

Former person Derek Hatton and his woman person denied misconduct successful a nationalist office.

The 77-year-old and Sonjia Hatton, 50, appeared astatine Manchester Crown Court connected Thursday.

Derek Hatton, of Mossley Hill, Liverpool, entered a not blameworthy plea to a complaint of counselling oregon procuring misconduct successful a nationalist office.

His wife, of Aigburth, Liverpool, pleaded not blameworthy to a complaint of misconduct successful a nationalist office. She is accused of providing her hubby with confidential assembly accusation implicit matters of commercialized and concern use.

Earlier this year, Derek Hatton pleaded not blameworthy not a complaint of offering a bribe.

The 77-year-old was a subordinate of the Militant inclination that infiltrated Labour successful the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1983, helium became lawman person of the Militant-led Liverpool City Council, which acceptable an amerciable fund successful 1985 - spending much than its income - successful a basal against Margaret Thatcher's government.

Then Labour person Neil Kinnock lambasted the "grotesque chaos" of the council's actions successful his 1985 enactment league speech.

Hatton was expelled from Labour successful 1986 aft being recovered successful breach of their rules. In 2019, helium told Sky News helium had been readmitted to the enactment but was suspended again conscionable days later.

Both Derek and Sonjia Hatton were connected Thursday bailed to basal proceedings successful April 2027 on with erstwhile Liverpool politician Joe Anderson, his lad David Anderson and the council's erstwhile adjunct manager of highways and planning, Andrew Barr.

Joe Anderson, 67, denies bribery, misconduct successful a nationalist bureau and conspiracy to perpetrate misconduct successful a nationalist office.

His 38-year-old lad denies conspiracy to perpetrate misconduct successful a nationalist bureau and Barr, 51, denies conspiracy to perpetrate misconduct successful a nationalist bureau and accepting a bribe.

They were charged arsenic portion of Operation Aloft. Launched by Merseyside Police, it looked into the awarding of commercialized and concern contracts from the assembly betwixt 2010 and 2020.

Six different defendants charged successful transportation with the probe are owed to basal proceedings successful February adjacent year.