Anderson won't stand for re-election as Liverpool Mayor following arrest in fraud probe
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has said he is innocent but accepted he will not be Labour's candidate in next year's mayoral election as he was re-bailed by police following his arrest last month.
Anderson, 62, the directly elected mayor of the city, was arrested on December 4 on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.
He was bailed until Thursday and then re-bailed by police, along with four other men, until February 19.
The arrests came as part of a Merseyside Police fraud investigation, Operation Aloft, into building and development contracts in Liverpool.
Anderson, who had already been selected as Labour's candidate to run for a third term as mayor in what will be delayed elections in the spring, has been administratively suspended by the party pending the ongoing investigation.
On Thursday, Anderson released a lengthy statement in which he said he was "disappointed" with the police decision to re-bail him, saying he had "answered all their questions" but that "their decision does in fact change everything".
Anderson said while still on bail and under investigation it would restrict and restrain him from functioning as the mayor after initially announcing he was to temporarily "step back" after his arrest earlier this month.
His statement continued: "I maintain that the police investigation will confirm I have done nothing wrong, and my name and reputation will be exonerated.
"However, it is now clear that the speed of the police investigation means it will not conclude in the next few days as I hoped.
"The timing of the extended bail notice means that it is in the best interests of the Labour Party to select a new candidate for the mayoral election.
"I will continue to fight to both demonstrate that I am innocent of any wrongdoing, but also to protect my legacy as mayor of my city of which I am proud."
Anderson, who became mayor in 2012, cited his faith and thanked his family for support.