Twenty Broxtowe councilors quit Labor over Starmer’s leadership.

20 councilors have quit Labor in protest at the direction of the party under Sir Keir Starmer.

Councilors from Broxtowe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire claimed the party had “abandoned traditional Labor values” and criticized policies such as Reduction in winter fuel allowance for some pensioners.

Council leader Milan Radulovic, a member of the party for 42 years, is among those who defected from Labour.

A local Labor spokesman said the decision by some councilors to sit independently 18 months after being elected was “incredibly disappointing”.

Councilors said they would form a new independent party, which plans to run the borough council as a minority administration in the short term, but may need the support of existing independents to keep control.

They claimed 10 of them had been barred from standing for Labor in the upcoming Nottinghamshire County Council local elections after questioning the winter fuel policy.

Radulovich said of the move that he was “very sad” but had been put in an “impossible position”.

“I cannot and will not support another central government’s intention to destroy local democracy and dictate national policy from on high,” he said.

He also criticized the local government restructuring plans. Which could see the demise of district and borough councils.

“I believe that the concentration of power in the hands of a few people and the elimination of local democracy through the current proposals for super councils is nothing short of a dictatorship, where local elected members, local people, local residents have no say in the matter.” And the level of service provided in their area,” he said.

The group said 100 local grassroots members had also left Labour.

Broxtowe Labor councilors – of whom there were 26 before the announcement – said: “It is incredibly disappointing that some Broxtowe councilors have decided to leave the Labor Party and stand as independents when they were only 18 months ago. He was elected on the Labor ticket.

“These defections do not affect the commitment of the remaining Labor councilors to serving our residents.

“We, along with our Labor colleagues including MPs Juliette Campbell and Alex Norris, will continue to work to make Broxtowe a healthier, greener, safer and more prosperous place for everyone as the transformation begins under this Labor Government. is.”

Hugh Caswell, political reporter, BBC Nottingham

Relations between Brookstowe Labor and the National Party have been strained for some time.

In 2023, a row started over the process of selecting a parliamentary candidate for the region.and Milan Radulovic has never been shy about talking.

Of course, some of the factors that have given rise to these deviations are individual and personal in nature.

But the party may be more concerned that grassroots criticism of government policy extends beyond Broxtowe’s borders.