A former Labour councillor is campaigning for a Chester-le-Street by-election after a councillor who stood as Independent flipped to Reform.
Cllr Paul Sexton was elected as an Independent to represent Chester-le-Street South Ward on Durham County Council with 1,641 votes on 1 May, but just 12 days after vote, he announced he was joining Reform UK.
A petition was launched by former councillor, Julie Scurfield, who claims Cllr Sexton misled the public during his campaign, during which he was heavily critical of Reform policies.
She said:
“The people of South Ward have not only been let down, they’ve also been misled. Cllr Sexton ran a successful campaign as an Independent candidate, having already served for two council terms as an Independent, that openly criticised Reform policies and now he’s joined them.
“Having secured the trust of the people in his ward with promises that now sound increasingly hollow he flipped to Reform, presumably to try and secure himself a Cabinet position in the new administration.
“If people in Chester-le-Street South wanted a Reform candidate they would have voted for one. I wonder how parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles of children with SEND who live in that ward are feeling, given Reform’s rhetoric about children being mis-diagnosed. That’s not my experience from speaking to parents who endure daily struggles and challenges.
“Labour is calling for his immediate resignation and for a by-election to be arranged to ensure that residents of Chester-le-Street South have the opportunity to decide who represents them at County Hall.”
This campaign comes following a chaotic start to the county’s Reform administration, with one newly-elected Reform councillor forced to resign his position having breached electoral regulations, and other investigations rumoured to be ongoing.
County Durham Labour Leader, Cllr Rob Crute, said:
“A vote is a precious thing. When we ask for it, we’re asking people to judge us on our record, put faith in what we say and hold us to account. What Cllr Sexton appears to have done is run a dishonest campaign, compromised his principles, and put his own position ahead of the people who gave him their vote.
“Not only did residents put their trust in Cllr Sexton, they also roundly rejected the politics of Reform, with candidates from that party receiving a much smaller percentage of the vote than the Independents.
“Paul should do the honourable thing – stand down now and stand again on a Reform ticket in a by-election, allowing the residents of Chester-le-Street to decide not only the person, but also the party to represent them.”
Link: Petition