A CONSERVATIVE councillor axed from the Greenwich group claims she has been bullied and discriminated against because of her age and disability.

Eltham South's Councillor Eileen Glover lost her appeal against deselection for the next election, but has now lodged three complaints of discrimination against the local party with Conservative Central Office - something she could not do under the original appeals process.

She told News Shopper: "I have witnesses that comments were made about my age and disability at the selection meeting.

"They heard someone say 'she's a very good councillor but she's getting on a bit and she does have a disability'."

She added: "Those people that are standing up for me are terrified they're going to get bullied and thrown out the party."

Cllr Glover said rumours had been spread that she would stand down, that she was sent no paperwork for the selection meeting and was not even informed where or when it would be held until the day before.

The councillor, who has represented her ward for 11 years, said: "When I got there I felt as if I'd been dragged in off the street."

And she claimed her deselection was partly due to falling out with former councillor Peter King - chairman of her ward.

The 72-year-old, who has glaucoma in one eye and carries a white stick, said she was relieved of her shadow housing brief by leader Councillor Spencer Drury.

She said: "He really rubbished everything I've done. It felt like I was being bullied by him."

Now she has also had the whip withdrawn and, during the Easter holidays, had a row with deputy leader Councillor Alex Wilson over her continued use of Cllr Drury's town hall office.

Cllr Glover said: "I've said I'll consider standing as an independent if I didn't get justice.

"What I do want is to have an admission that there was discrimination, that there was bullying and there was abuse and that's unacceptable in the 21st century. If that came about would I stand as an independent? I don't know.

"I'm a Conservative. I believe in Conservative values."

Cllr Glover's allegations come shortly after Labour's Councillor Alex Grant announced he would not be standing at the next election due to bullying in his own party.


'Throwing mud'

When asked about Cllr Glover's claims, Cllr Drury denied there was any bullying and said: "There's no evidence for any of this.

"She's made it very personal but there's no evidence that it is personal."

He added: "I think Cllr Glover is a very upset lady who's now throwing a lot of mud."

On her complaints about discrimination he said: "She didn't mention anything about this before the appeal was lost.

"The process was correct, it was followed correctly and it was fair."

And he stressed that members of the Conservative Group had no influence over the selection process in her ward.

On the decision to remove her of the whip, he said: "You can't reasonably have someone within the group that's standing as an independent."