Eighth councillor resigns from Hastings Labour group

In a statement released on Monday (December 18), long time Labour councillor Mike Turner announced his resignation from the party, citing criticism of national leader Kier Starmer, the party’s policy on Gaza and a ‘dereliction of local democracy’ as his reasons for leaving.

Cllr Turner said: “When Kier Starmer stood as leader of the Labour Party I supported him, however, I’m now ashamed to admit that I did as he endorsed the war crime of cutting off water and electricity to Palestinians in Gaza, while Labour’s position to not support a ceasefire has been a complete disgrace.

“The sight of a young boy carrying his dead sibling through water will forever haunt me. The Labour Party has lost its moral compass, those on the parliamentary Labour front bench should be ashamed for not supporting a ceasefire.

“Recently within the Labour Party there has been a dereliction of local democracy, not once was I asked or consulted about who my running mate was going to be in Baird ward. We have been unable to select our own local Parliamentary candidate and selection of councillor candidates.

“It is for these reasons I am resigning from the Labour Party, I owe it to my parents, my late wife and daughter.

“I was elected Councillor for Baird ward in 2010 and have been proud to work hard for my residents, I will continue to remain committed to my residents with the integrity they elected me upon.

“I would like to thank my residents for the continued support they have given me and assure them I will continue with the same principles and values. “

Cllr Turner joins seven other Hastings councillors who have resigned from the party over the past few days. They include council leader Paul Barnett and five other former cabinet members who resigned last week and Cllr Nigel Sinden, who resigned on Saturday (December 16).

The resignations have come under fire from a Labour party representative, who described the cabinet team as “holdouts from the previous regime” who had “driven the council to the brink of bankruptcy.”

In a statment, a Labour Party spokesman said: “With Keir Starmer as Leader, the Labour Party has changed fundamentally.

“The fact that these councillors, all holdouts from the previous regime, no longer feel the Labour Party is their home is conclusive proof of that.

“Their performative gesture politics has driven the council to the brink of bankruptcy and as a result they had effectively been placed in special measures.

“We call upon them now to do the honourable thing and step down immediately, and allow the hardworking people of Hastings the chance to elect councillors who will put Hastings first.”

Cllr Turner’s departure means more councillors have now resigned from Labour than those who remain in the group.

As things stand, there are eight Labour-turned-independent councillors, with only seven Labour councillors remaining.

The resignations also mean the Conservatives — with 10 councillors — are currently the council’s largest political group. The Green Party has five councillors and Reform UK has one.

Independent councillor John Rankin, who left the Conservative party in September, is the council’s only other elected member.