Three senior Conservative Barrow councillors – including the group’s leader – are quitting the party.
Hazel Edwards, Conservative group leader on the borough council, Wendy McClure and Martin McLeavy, have announced they will step down today and serve the rest of their terms as independents.
They accuse councillors of too often focusing on political ambition rather than the good of the community and said although it was a difficult decision, the current direction of the party – both locally and nationally – left them with no choice but to resign.
They claim they had been criticised by the local Conservative Association for raising funds for charity instead of for political aims.
The three between them have more than 80 years of service to the Conservative Party.
In a joint statement, the three councillors said: “Locally and nationally, this is not the Conservative Party we joined and certainly not the party we feel we can continue to represent as councillors in Barrow.
“It has become increasingly clear to us in recent years that the local party association is in many ways dysfunctional, with a cabal of officers and some members who far too often seem to focus on their own self-importance and personal political ambitions, rather than on the good of the community.
“We believe that part of our work as community councillors is to raise funds for local good causes and groups. Unfortunately, the Barrow and Furness Conservative Association seems to take a different view about this.
“We were extremely saddened and disappointed when, after recently raising funds for such excellent causes as the Blood Bikes, the Bluebell Foundation for bereaved families, Askam Town Silver Band and the X112 community bus, we were criticised by the Conservative Association, who told us that all the money we raised should be for political purposes.
“Although we are the opposing political group within the borough, we work with our Labour members for the good of all of our constituents. We feel local councils should be non-political, which would perhaps enable many issues raised by the public to be sorted more easily. Playing party politics is not what we should be about.”
The councillors have also criticised the national Conservative Party, which they feel has lost touch with the people who voted for it in the 2019 General Election.
They said: “The party seems to be moving away from the people they represent, often appearing to be unaware of the present struggles of ordinary people.”
The three councillors say they will continue to represent their constituents across Barrow until the borough council ceases to exist, on March 31 next year.
They added: “We remain dedicated to the service of this wonderful borough and its residents, for whom we will always be available. We believe that our serving now as Independent councillors will give non-political people a wider scope of choice.”
A spokesman for Barrow and Furness Conservative Association said: “We will be appointing a new leader of the Conservative group who will continue the great work of Conservative councillors across Barrow, Dalton, Askam, Ireleth, Lindal, and Marton.
“Conservatives in council continue to hold the Labour-led administration to account for its failings on recycling, bin collections, and grant payments to businesses who desperately need it to bounce back from the pandemic.
‘’Conservative councillors across the Barrow and Furness area support their communities in a number of ways with many being volunteers and championing their communities they represent to help everyone.
“Working together with Simon Fell MP we’ll be taking our message for change to the people of the borough of Barrow in Furness as we roll out or plan for better services from the new Westmorland and Furness council.
“Our plan includes a plan to fix potholes, for cleaner communities, safer streets, and backing business and that’s what we’re focusing on now.”
