West Sussex: Adur councillor resigns

Adur councillor Cat Arnold has announced her resignation

Author: Grace O'Hare and Thomas Hanway, Local Democracy Reporting ServicePublished 14th Mar 2024

An Adur councillor has stood down after a "political event" made her re-evaluate her role.

Cat Arnold who's the Labour member for St Mary's ward in Shoreham has left with immediate affect after six years.

On social media she said she would, however, continue to work with the local Labour party team.

She said: “In the last couple of months a local, political event forced me to re-evaluate the dedication and commitment I have given to my role in local politics. It has been tough at times being a councillor and I have learnt so much, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it and the people I have worked with and helped along the way.

“This includes working with my wonderful local, Labour Party team, who I cannot fault, and are brilliant colleagues.

“I step away being proud of my community, my work and the people within it, I wish my successor in the ward well.”

She stated her intention to keep running the Adur Community Café in Southwick and retain her involvement as CEO of Adur Voluntary Action, a charity which provides support for other charities and community development in Adur.

Controversy was sparked last year after Cllr Arnold and Worthing Borough Council’s deputy leader Carl Walker (Lab, Selden), were not included in Labour’s final selections for its general election candidate for the constituency of East Worthing & Shoreham.

The two were the only local councillors on the list, with Tom Rutland, a Labour councillor for the London borough of Lambeth, eventually winning selection for the constituency.

Adur’s Labour leader Jeremy Gardner (Lab, St Mary’s) said in a statement to the local democracy reporting service that Cllr Arnold had been a ‘remarkable councillor and campaigner’ for Adur.

He said she had campaigned for housing, schools and school placements, the environment, conserving railway ticket offices and to save family centres in the district.

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