Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Councillor resigns from party in protest
Long-standing Airdrie councillor Tommy Morgan has resigned from the Labour party in protest at what he calls its “increasing prevalence of privilege and elitism at various levels”.
He has been a party member for more than four decades and a councillor for 34 years on both North Lanarkshire and its predecessor authority, Monklands District Council.
The Airdrie North representative wrote to council group leader Jim Logue and formally outlined his decision to step down from the party.
Councillor Morgan said: “As a lifelong Labour member and trade unionist, I struggle to see how a political party founded upon the principles of social justice, redistribution of wealth and equality for all can effectively promote those objectives while being led by privileged, privately-educated, millionaire elites.”
His resignation letter also criticised the elevation of “unelected nobility” to the House of Lords, including former Monklands MPS John Reid and Helen Liddell, and former First Minister Jack Mcconnell.
Councillor Morgan said of the recent Scottish leadership campaign: “I found it ludicrous to hear Baron Mcconnell lavish praise on a millionaire, privately-educated candidate as a potential leader ‘for 21stcentury politics’ – what a political obscenity, which will have [founder] Keir Hardie birling in his grave.”
Describing the upper house at Westminster as “the most obscene, elitist, and antidemocratic club in British society”, he added that it contributes to “the elongation of snobbery, elitism, privilege and inequality; the very societal structures that the Labour party was created to eradicate”.
With local government elections taking place in May 2022, Councillor Morgan plans to continue representing his Airdrie North constituents as an independent councillor.
His resignation of his party affiliation means North Lanarkshire’s minority Labour administration – which gained two seats in recent by-elections – is now reduced to 31 members.
The SNP and Conservatives respectively have 29 and eight councillors, while the Airdrie North representative becomes the council’s ninth independent member; with others including ward colleague Alan Beveridge.
North Lanarkshire Labour leader Councillor Logue said: “Tommy has been a stalwart of our movement and an outstanding local councillor committed to improving the lives of his constituents for decades.
“Whilst we are saddened by his departure, we thank him for his service to the group and the party, and wish him the very best for the future.”