Romsey Councillor Mairead Healy has announced that she is resigning the Labour Party whip and her Labour Party membership. Councillor Healy is also stepping down from her position on the Council Executive handling the Communities portfolio. The move comes five months after her re-election in the May 2023 Local Elections.
The Romsey Councillor has criticised Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer for his statement on the Israel-Gaza conflict and the policy direction of the national party. This follows similar protests and resignations from Labour Councillors across the country, opposing Starmer’s position on Israel’s response to the Hamas attack.
This is the second time a sitting Councillor has resigned from the Labour Party since May. Kings Hedges Councillor and Deputy Council Leader Alex Collis stepped down in May just a few days after being re-elected. She resigned her seat and triggered a by-election. Instead of following precedent, Councillor Healy has said she will sit as an independent and serve out her full term.
Cambridge City Conservatives Chair Zachary Marsh has commented:
“Councillor Healy won a four year term in May representing a party she is no longer a member of. Given her unpopular support for the Congestion Charge and the Mill Road Bridge closure, the decent thing to do would be to resign and offer Romsey voters a genuine choice over who represents them going forwards.”
