Cllr Bedi: ‘I’m not a traitor or a splitter’
Slough: Councillor explains why she resigned from Labour Group
An independent councillor who resigned from Slough Labour Group has hit back after she was labelled a ‘quitter, traitor and splitter’ by the leader of the council.
Foxborough ward councillor Madhuri Bedi announced her resignation during a full council meeting last week in protest to the planned increased in council tax for 2021/22.
She said she was ‘saddened’ by the decision to increase council tax bills by the maximum amount allowed following a year which has caused a ‘tsunami of grief’ and challenges for Slough residents.
In response Cllr James Swindlehurst (Lab, Cippenham Green) said during the meeting: “All the people who choose to leave us, the same fate befalls
them all, you never hear from them ever again because the public don’t put their faith in traitors and quitters and splitters.”
Speaking this week,
Cllr Bedi said: “I am not a traitor, nor am I a splitter. I am a wife, a mother, a charity worker, and a local councillor who simply wants to improve
the lives of the people of Foxborough and Slough.
“I do not like the word quitter, however if I were one, I would have resigned many years ago for the continued victimisation I, and other minority women have faced behind the closed doors of Slough’s Labour group, the only difference is Monday’s attack was in a public meeting on International Womens Day.”
Cllr Bedi has urged residents to ‘judge me on my record’ when she stands in the May elections as an independent.
In response to claims about her ‘continued victimisation’, Slough Labour Group said it takes allegations of this kind ‘extremely seriously’ and would investigate these claims if they were raised.
Cllr Christine Hulme, chair of the Labour Group said no complaints had been raised by Cllr Bedi.
She added: “Slough Labour Group has a strong track record on women’s representation – 40 per cent of our sitting councillors are female, for the second election in a row 50 per cent of our candidates are female with over half of our female candidates coming from a BAME background. More generally over 50 per cent of our candidates in this election will be from BAME backgrounds and Slough Labour continues to ensure the voices from all our town’s diverse communities are heard.”