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

Former politician Derek Hatton and his wife have denied misconduct in a public office.

The 77-year-old and Sonjia Hatton, 50, appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday. Derek Hatton, of Mossley Hill, Liverpool, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office.

His wife, of Aigburth, Liverpool, pleaded not guilty to a charge of misconduct in a public office. She is accused of providing her husband with confidential council information over matters of commercial and business use.

Earlier this year, Derek Hatton pleaded not guilty not a charge of offering a bribe. The 77-year-old was a member of the Militant tendency that infiltrated Labour in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1983, he became deputy leader of the Militant-led Liverpool City Council, which set an illegal budget in 1985 - spending more than its income - in a stand against Margaret Thatcher's government. Then Labour leader Neil Kinnock lambasted the "grotesque chaos" of the council's actions in his 1985 party conference speech.

Hatton was expelled from Labour in 1986 after being found in breach of their rules. In 2019, he told Sky News he had been readmitted to the party but was suspended again just days later.

Both Derek and Sonjia Hatton were on Thursday bailed to stand trial in April 2027 along with former Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, his son David Anderson and the council's former assistant director of highways and planning, Andrew Barr. Joe Anderson, 67, denies bribery, misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.

His 38-year-old son denies conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and Barr, 51, denies conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and accepting a bribe. They were charged as part of Operation Aloft.

Launched by Merseyside Police, it looked into the awarding of commercial and business contracts from the council between 2010 and 2020. Six other defendants charged in connection with the investigation are due to stand trial in February next year..