Leader and Deputy Leader of Hastings Council quit Labour party
Alongside four other Cabinet members, the six Councillors have formed the new Hastings Independent Group.
Last updated 15th Dec 2023
The Leader and Deputy Leader of Hastings Council have quit the Labour Party.
Alongside four other Cabinet members, the six Councillors have formed the new Hastings Independent Group.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the group said that the "national Labour Party no longer provides us with the policies, the support or the focus on local government that we need given the many local issues we are committed to tackling."
They also claimed that "standing up for Hastings" would be easier as independent Councillors.
In a separate post, the Deputy leader Cllr Evans said "it has become increasingly apparent that the Labour Party has moved away from many of its core values and principles" in an attempt to win Conservative voters.
She also criticised the party's position to not support a permanent ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza as "completely unforgivable".
Cllr Evans also claimed party members in Hastings had been denied the right to choose their Parliamentary and Council election candidates - saying she had been blocked from standing as either.
She goes on to say that she will continue to work hard for her residents as a Hastings independent councillor, and will continue to uphold the values and principles she was elected upon, and will put Hastings first, prioritising everything she does for the furtherment of the town and it's residents.
The councillors' resignations means the Conservatives are now the largest party on the Council.
It's unclear yet whether the leadership will change.