A Blackburn Labour councillor has quit the party, alleging ‘toxicity’ and ‘bullying’ in politics.
Ewood ward’s Cllr Elaine Whittingham will now be an Independent.
She was elected to Blackburn with Darwen Council in May 2022 following her mother and veteran Labour councillor Maureen Bateson standing down after 39 years.
In her resignation letter to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Labour leader, Cllr Phil Riley, Cllr Whittingham says: “This has not been an easy decision and has been in discussion for many months.
“Labour’s values of fairness, equality, and social justice first inspired me to stand for election, and those values still guide me today and will continue to do so.
“However, after much reflection, I have decided to resign from the Labour Party and continue my work as an Independent councillor.
“I want to be clear: this decision is not about walking away from the people who elected me.
“It is about serving them with a little freedom, and about being able to call out the external targeted bullying that is now accepted.
“National politics has become increasingly toxic, largely driven by point-scoring, outrage, and division rather than practical solutions.
“This is often online, using the truth sparingly, targeting blame in the wrong areas.
“It has also seen members across the chamber (including myself) targeted for abuse.
“That is not politics; that is bullying.
“At a local level, our residents do not ask whether a pothole is left-wing or right-wing.
“They do not care who is to blame.
“They want their bins collected, their streets safe, their children and adults supported, and their voices heard.
“They want councillors who listen first and argue later.
“I believe we urgently need to bring kindness back into politics.
“Kindness does not mean weakness.
“It means respect.
“It means recognising that those we disagree with are not enemies.
“It means focusing on shared goals rather than party advantage.
“It means treating residents and each other with dignity.
“As an Independent councillor, I will be free to put our community first in every vote and every decision.
“I will work constructively with colleagues from all parties where we agree, and I will challenge robustly where I believe our residents deserve better.
“My loyalty will be to the people of Ewood, not to a party or a national narrative.
“I remain proud of much that Labour has achieved, both nationally, more importantly, locally.
“But at this moment, I believe I can best serve our community by stepping outside party lines and focusing solely on the needs of local people.
“Politics should be about service, not tribalism. About solutions, not slogans. About kindness, not toxicity.
“I believe our residents deserve a councillor who is accountable first and foremost to them.”
Cllr Riley said: “We are really disappointed because Elaine is a really good councillor who cares deeply about the residents of her ward.
“But it reflects the fact that she has taken a huge amount of abuse on social media, and this is a real concern for the democratic process in particular, where women are concerned.”
Share