‘I MUST MAKE MY OWN WAY FROM NOW ON’
City councillor quits Labour amid claims she’s been ‘stifled and talked down to’
A LEADING city councillor has quit the Labour Party due to ‘irreconcilable differences.’
Councillor Candi Chetwynd, who has represented Smallthorne for six years, claimed she had been ‘talked down to and stifled’.
But the leader of the Labour group hit back, saying councillor Chetwynd’s decision to move out of the city to Congleton ‘did not absolve her of her responsibilities’.
Cllr Chetwynd told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:
“It has taken a very long while of personal searching to reach the conclusion that I must make my own way from now on in the political arena.
“To best serve my constituents as they have stood by me in two elections, it is time to stand for myself independently as I always put them first.
“I am eternally grateful to all who voted for my Labour values and principles as I will always fight for social justice, that is my core. You know how I campaign.
“Unfortunately, my ability to be a party member has met its end after nine solid years of service.
I am closing that door due to irreconcilable differences.
“I need to be the politician that you all know me as, the unrestricted, unfiltered, no nonsense Candi Chetwynd. Unfortunately, I have been stifled and talked down to, far too many times for me to remain a member.
“There are many dear friends who will be sad to see me leave but if they love me for me they will always have my support and respect. Integrity is everything to me. I have done some of the most amazing things in the past six years and won people’s hearts with my fight. I will continue to do even more amazing things in the years to come. I am dedicated to help wherever I possibly can.
“I am not leaving politics, I am simply leaving the Labour Party as I want to do so much more for Stokeon-trent with my own authenticity, flair and true belief that things can and will be so much better.”
Labour group leader Cllr Jane Ashworth said: “When I was elected leader of the Labour group, my team and I promised to get Labour back on track.
“We knew that to earn the trust and support of people in our city, every Labour Party representative must show the highest standards. Cllr Chetwynd’s decision to move to Congleton understandably made the new expectations upon her more challenging, but it did not absolve her of her responsibility to local residents or to the new aims and mission of Stoke-on-trent Labour Party.
“Politics is a team sport, and so
I am sorry that Cllr Chetwynd no longer is able to fulfil these roles and has resigned from the Labour Group.
“We wish her every success with her future endeavours in Cheshire and would like to reassure the residents of Ford Green, Smallthorne and Norton Heights that Labour remains committed to delivering real, positive change for them and for all our communities.”