Labour activists in Bishop Auckland have insisted they are not seeking a ‘public dispute’ after a county councillor quit the party.
Tanya Tucker was elected to represent the town’s Woodhouse Close division in 2017, but last week (February 1) confirmed she had resigned her membership and would sit as an independent.
Her move came after she was not re-selected to contest her county council seat at the next round of local elections, currently scheduled for May 6.
A spokesperson for Bishop Auckland Labour said: “Our selection process is competitive and always leaves some people disappointed.
“We cannot control how people react to that, and we are not going to get involved in a public dispute.
“We are focussed on delivering for the people of County Durham, including ensuring businesses and families get the support and services they need to rebuild after Covid.
“We have big ambitions for our county and brilliant and committed candidates in place for the May elections.”
In an email sent to all members of Durham County Council, Cllr Tucker claimed her decision to quit Labour had been partly prompted by opposition from her own party to her friendship with non-Labour councillors and activists.
She has since confirmed she plans to stand again in May’s county council polls as an independent and added she wished her former colleagues well in the upcoming campaign.
Labour has selected Julie Stirk, who works in the care sector, and Jamie Blackburn, a member of Bishop Auckland Town Council and current deputy mayor of the town, to contest the two council seats up for grabs in the county’s Woodhouse Close division.
Blackburn said: “Labour councillors always have friends and family who vote differently to them, there is no issue with that.
“But Labour does expect its councillors to uphold certain standards in terms of teamworking, professionalism and responsiveness to local needs.
“As a town councillor for Woodhouse Close, I’ve been helping people in need over the past year and worked alongside a number of charities and organisations contributing to making the ward a better place to live.”
