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Mass Labour resignation group will still run council

BBC Councillor Mohammed Iqbal speaking to the BBC outside the town hall in NelsonBBC
Former council leader Cllr Mohammed Iqbal is among those to have joined the Independent Proup.

Former Labour councillors who quit the party this week are to continue to run Pendle Borough Council.

They have formed an Independent Group which will pursue the coalition arrangement with the local Liberal Democrat group.

The entire Labour group on the council resigned from the party on Monday.

They said the national leadership "no longer reflected their views" and used "aggressive bullying tactics to suppress fairness and free speech".

Labour says it is focussed on winning the general election so it can improve the lives of those it's elected to serve.

The resignations were among a total of 20 Labour resignations across East Lancashire, which included ten members of Nelson and Brierfield town councils.

The leader of Pendle council, Cllr Asjad Mahmood, is among those who resigned. He is to continue as leader of Pendle Council and lead the Independent Group.

The Labour group's former leader Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, who had previously been suspended from the party over antisemitism claims, has also joined the Independent Group.

Pendle's Lib Dem leader Cllr David Whipp, who is deputy leader of the council, has confirmed that his group, which was in partnership with Labour to run Pendle Council, will continue to work with the newly-independent councillors until May's local elections.

He said the arrangement was needed to provide a "stable structure" for local services.

A local Conservative councillor has expressed concern over the resignations.

Cllr Ash Sutcliffe who represents Waterside and Horsfield in Colne, said: "Whilst I understand these people may feel they are sending a message of their dissatisfaction to Keir Starmer, their residents are left wondering who is looking after them and their services?"

There are 33 councillors across 12 wards on Pendle Borough Council, with no party having overall control.

The Conservative Party has 13 councillors; the newly-formed Independent Group has 10 councillors; the Liberal Democrats have seven councillors; there are two independent councillors who are not part of a grouping; and there is one vacant seat in Earby and Coates ward.

Local elections are due to be held in Pendle on 2 May. Candidate lists will be available on council websites by 4pm on 8 April, according to the Electoral Commission.