A LABOUR councillor has resigned from his party due to his anger over the MP expenses scandal .

Huncoat ward councillor Paul Gott said he had become so disillusioned with national parties that he felt the only way to serve on Hyndburn Borough Council was as an independent.

The 45-year-old councillor, who serves on the council’s ‘watchdog’ scrutiny committee and on a committee creating the area’s development plan, stressed there was no problems with the local Labour group.

However he said that recent revelations surrounding MPs’ expenses had led him to shun any link with a national party.

He said: “It’s a feeling I’ve had for a while that some MPs conduct themselves in a completely amoral way.

"This latest thing with their expenses is just the icing on the cake.

“This latest matter with non-existent mortgages getting paid off is atrocious.

“We haven’t heard many apologies and simply promising to pay it back isn’t good enough.

“It’s not just the Labour Party, of course and there are some very good MPs, but I felt like I couldn’t associate myself with national politics any more.

“I am quite an apolitical person anyway and feel national allegiances just get in the way of local politics.

“They cause arguments that have nothing to do with what’s best for local people.

“I am however really proud to be part of Hyndburn Borough Council, and proud to represent the people of Huncoat and the people of Hyndburn.

“I just think I could do it better as an independent.”

Labour Leader Coun Graham Jones said: “At our AGM, you could just see that Paul was really sad and he didn’t want to pay subs to the Labour party.

“It’s sad to lose him but he’s an excellent councillor and he’ll continue to work alongside us.”

The council’s Conservative leader Coun Peter Britcliffe said: “It’s not really for me to comment on another group or the loss of support that Labour are having to cope with.

"I am just happy to be at the forefront of a united Conservative group.”