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WHAT a difference a week makes.
Seven days ago, David Phythian was just another face among many on the backbenches of West Lancs District Council and Up Holland Parish Council, busy sorting out complaints about potholes and making decisions on planning applications.
Fast-forward a week and his name has been plastered over all the media and internet following his conviction for making racist remarks about Pascal Chimbonda.
A search on Yahoo reveals just how far and wide this story has travelled. But despite that, Cllr Phythian had not given his side of the story.
However, in this week's Advertiser he granted me an exclusive interview in which he sheds some valuable light on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
I have to admit that being a Wiganer myself, and having been to matches at the JJB staduim a few times, I've heard the word 'mudhut' being used jokingly in reference to a house (do a search on Google or Yahoo under 'Wigan mudhut' if it sounds weird to you)
I've grown up with similar oddities (for some reason, we call people from St Helens 'Yickers'. Answers on a postcard please) and as such I've never really given them a second thought. Neither probably has Cllr Phythian, until now.
However, the burning question is was Cllr Phythian knowingly being racist or was it just an unfortunate choice of words given the circumstances in which they were uttered?
That is something the Labour Party heirarchy is going to have to make a decision on soon.
We're told the case is also being referred to the Standards Board for England, the governing body for councillors, but as this happened in his own private life, as opposed to while he was carrying out his public duties, it's open to debate how they'll proceed.
Last night, sources were saying there's general support for Cllr Phythian in the Labour Party but - and it's a big but - there's also a real concern about the racism issue.
Politics is all about making the right decisions... will Labour make the right one? .
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