Sunderland councillor resigns from Labour Party over what he calls 'anti-democratic removal' of former council leader

Sunderland Labour hit the headlines after the May local elections this year due to changes in the way key political posts were appointed.

As Sunderland Labour is subject to a Labour Party “campaign improvement board”, national party chiefs decided key posts instead of local Labour councillors, including decisions around leader and deputy leader roles.

The move, which included applicants being interviewed by Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), has been criticised by some local party members and the former North of Tyne Mayor, Jamie Driscoll.

The shake-up on Wearside saw council leader since 2018, councillor Graeme Miller, and deputy leader councillor Claire Rowntree, replaced by councillor Michael Mordey as council leader, and councillor Kelly Chequer as deputy leader.

Earlier this month, councillor Jimmy Warne, Washington West ward member, resigned from the national Labour Party and has since criticised this process.

The councillor, who was re-elected for Labour in the May 2024 local elections, attempted to explain his reasons for resigning from the party at a full council meeting on Wednesday, June 19.

However, the councillor was prevented from finishing his speech by the Mayor of Sunderland and instead, took to social media after the meeting to publish a statement.

The councillor said it was “not an easy decision for me to leave the party”, but that he “couldn’t support the group’s new leadership following the anti-democratic removal of the former leader, Cllr Graeme Miller”.

Cllr Warne’s Facebook statement added: “The leadership of the party had told us as Labour councillors, that they had effectively decided that changes needed to be made locally, to that end for no good reason.

“Cllr Miller was removed as a result of those changes. It had then been made clear to me, from several local councillors in the party, that if we did not accept this change, we could face some form of disciplinary action being taken against us.

“I believe in democracy, and I believe that members are best placed to choose who represents them. Washington and Sunderland deserves better than having unelected officials in Labour Party offices impose candidates.

“On that basis, I resigned my membership to the Labour Party”.

Sunderland City Council’s opposition Liberal Democrats previously praised Cllr Warne for his decision to resign from the Labour Party.

Cllr Paul Edgeworth, Lib Dem Group leader, speaking at full council on June 19, congratulated Cllr Warne for his “courage and for sticking to his principles” and said he “looked forward to working constructively with him from the opposition benches”.

New council leader Michael Mordey said he was “disappointed” with Cllr Warne’s resignation and added the Washington councillor had “turned his back” on the “mandate” he had as a recently re-elected Labour councillor.

Speaking earlier in the council meeting in response to a question from Sunderland’s Conservatives, Cllr Mordey denied Sunderland’s Labour Group was in “special measures” and stressed that internal Labour Party processes would not impact the delivery of city services.

Cllr Mordey also maintained that Cllr Jimmy Warne “left the Labour Party, and by consequence left the Labour Group”.

Sunderland City Council, in a previous statement, said Cllr Graeme Miller had “resigned” as council leader and quoted the councillor saying “the time has come to step back and concentrate on my own health and family life”.

The departing council leader later received a standing ovation from Labour councillors at a council meeting at City Hall in May 2024, and stressed he would continue as a ward councillor for Washington South.

Decisions at the June 2024 full council saw Cllr Warne lose positions on several committees as he is no longer a member of the Labour Group, including the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority.

In his social media statement, Cllr Warne confirmed he would continue as an independent councillor “working hard for all residents of Washington West”.

Cllr Warne said he understood Sunderland’s Labour councillors can’t make key group appointments, under internal party processes, for the next two years because of the campaign improvement board.

Councillor Michael Mordey, speaking after the June full council meeting, said he was “genuinely disappointed by Cllr Warne’s decision to resign from the Labour Party” but “respected his right to do so”.

Cllr Mordey added that it was “sad that Cllr Warne has chosen to turn his back on the opportunity to be part of an exciting new partnership between a Labour council and a Labour government, both fully committed to enhancing people’s lives”.

Cllr Mordey continued: “It is equally disappointing that only a few weeks ago, on May 2, residents in Washington West voted for Cllr Warne to represent their interests on the city council as a Labour councillor.

“His decision to resign from the Labour Party is denying people in Washington West what they voted for.

“My focus continues to be driving forward Sunderland’s development, building on our successes and working day-in-and-day-out to create a brighter future for the people of our city.

“Residents expect and deserve us to be fully-focused on that.”

A Labour spokesperson previously confirmed that Sunderland Labour Group was “put on a campaign improvement board in 2022”, a scheme set up to ‘support Labour groups that require improvement’.

A Labour spokesperson, in response to Cllr Warne’s comments, added: “At the recommendation of the campaign improvement board, the NEC interviewed and shortlisted prospective role holders.

“This is not an unusual intervention and adhered to the Labour Party’s internal processes”.