Labour loses control of council after resignations
Cheshire West and Chester CouncilLabour has lost its majority on a council in Cheshire after two councillors decided to leave the party.
Cheshire West and Chester councillors Elizabeth MacGlashan and Jimmy Shannon both said they felt Labour was a party "they did not recognise any more".
It means Labour now has 35 out of 70 seats on the council, leaving the council now in no overall control.
A spokesman for the council's Labour group said it was sad to see the councillors leave, but the group "remains strong and united in our purpose".
The decision means Labour have 35 seats on the council and the Conservatives have 22 seats.
Eight councillors are independent, while the Green Party and Reform have two councillors each and there is one Liberal Democrat.
Louise Gittins, the Labour leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "Labour is a movement built on solidarity, service, and the belief that we achieve more together than alone.
"Whilst it's sad to see Elizabeth and Jimmy go, the Cheshire West Labour Group remains strong and united in our purpose."
'Tough decisions'
MacGlashan said she left the party "with a heavy heart" as it had become a party she does not recognise any more.
She said: "It's a party that no longer represents the working class or most vulnerable in our society.
"I am sad to leave the party I have always supported but also looking forward to being an unaligned, independent councillor, with the freedom to speak out and vote with my conscience."
Jimmy Shannon said he felt he had been prevented from speaking on behalf of disabled residents during a recent council motion, and that led to his resignation.
"This Labour government has doubled down on Tory-style austerity," he said.
"The party I joined no longer exists. It belongs to Keir Starmer, not the people. His tough decisions fall on ordinary families, not the ultra-wealthy."
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