Leader Whitby is in the firing line

Jan 25 2007

BIRMINGHAM City Council leader Mike Whitby has been branded a "hypocrite" for demanding the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.

Whitby recently backed a motion in the Council House calling on the government to bring troops home immediately, but critics claim his Black Country engineering firm stands to profit from the war.

The company is Smethwick-based Skeldings who are reported to make components for the defence industry.

Labour leader Sir Albert Bore lashed out at his Conservative counterpart saying: "This is out and out hypocrisy. You can't say you oppose the war, then be part of the supply line to British forces."

Salma Yaqoob, leader of Birmingham's Stop The War Coalition, added: "If you think the war is illegal, then it's totally immoral to make money out of it."

Coun Whitby wasn't available for comment but his coalition partner, the Liberal Democrat leader Paul Tilsley defended him, saying: "As far as I'm aware all his company have done is reinforce Land Rovers to make it safer for British troops. The real hypocrisy is from the Labour Party members who haven't got the bottle to oppose a war their government started."