12:00am Saturday 1st January 2000
Croydon Council leader Valerie Shawcross claims the issues raised by the Stephen Lawrence inquiry are being hijacked by continued debate over the future of Croydon Councillor David Osland.
The former police officer, criticised in the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, is in the hot seat as Croydon Teachers' Association and Liberal Democrats call for his dismissal.
In an emergency meeting of the teachers' group, members called for Coun Osland to step down from the council and the police consultative committee of which he is vice chairman.
The Liberal Democrats echoed those calls claiming there is no room in public life for someone the Macpherson report found was closely implicated in police institutional racism.
But as the heat on Coun Osland intensifies, Coun Valerie Shawcross is trying to dampen the debate.
"The real issue is how we should combat racism and what we should do to ensure black people have a fairer deal. That is what really matters," said Coun Shawcross.
"David Osland has been elected by the people of Woodcote and Coulsdon West and has a legitimate right to sit on the council.
In an earlier interview Coun Osland told the Guardian he would not consider relinquishing his seat on the council but if the members of the police community consultative group vote for him to resign as vice chairman he would.
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