Sheffield Council Labour leader says news that seven councillors have quit is “disappointing”

Seven long-standing Labour members, including former leader Coun Terry Fox, have announced that they have left the party to become independent council members. They were suspended from the Labour whip after they voted against the draft Local Plan at the September council meeting over their opposition to a new traveller site near Crystal Peaks.

Coun Tom Hunt, who was elected as leader of Sheffield City Council following the May elections, said he is focusing on an “ambitious vision for the city” and it is disappointing that the seven councillors don’t want to support that.

He took over the role after Coun Fox was forced to quit by the party, news that broke on the day of the election count in May that saw the council remain under no overall political control. The resignations mean that Labour is still the biggest party with 32 members, three ahead of the 29 LibDems.

There are also 14 Greens, now eight independents and one Conservative.

Coun Hunt said: “Sheffield is on the up. We are delivering an ambitious vision for the city, putting the people of Sheffield first.

“We are focused on getting new homes built, bringing in new investment, improving our public transport and making sure we put cash in people’s pockets to help with the Tory cost of living crisis.

“It is disappointing that these former members don’t want to support this.”

The seven councillors who quit are Coun Fox, his wife Denise Fox, ex-deputy leader Julie Grocutt, Tony Damms, Dianne Hurst, former finance committee chair Bryan Lodge and Garry Weatherall.

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They voted to oppose the draft Local Plan, which sets out what developments are allowed in all areas of the city, because they are against the inclusion of a travellers’ site for travelling showpeople on land next to Eckington Way.

Coun Fox was forced out as leader in May when the central party put Sheffield Labour into special measures and sent a team in to direct the local election campaign. That happened in the wake of the tree-felling scandal and the subsequent Lowcock Report inquiry that was highly critical of the council.

The councillors’ statement says “the residents of the South East were not listened to” about the traveller site issue, which has been opposed by many local people, Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts and LibDem councillors.

The councillors’ joint statement said: “It is with a heavy heart that the undersigned have taken the decision to formally resign the Labour whip and resign our membership of the Labour Party with immediate effect.

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“It became apparent that differences of opinion and approach existed within the Sheffield Labour Party following the suspension of democracy at the time of the May local elections.

“Despite offers to meet collectively to attempt to resolve these differences, which were ignored, we remained loyal until September full council and the issues arising from the Local Plan.

“Despite assurances arising from the Lowcock Report that the council would engage in meaningful consultation with citizens, the residents of the South East were not listened to.

“As a result we will sit as a group of Independent councillors, to serve our constituents within our respective wards to ensure that their voices are heard.”