Councillor has resigned seat after a year
A MANSFIELD councillor has resigned from his seat for personal reasons less than a year after being elected.
Councillor Ben Brown, who represented the West Bank ward on Mansfield District Council, stepped down with immediate effect, the local Conservative group announced on Tuesday. He was one of five Conservatives elected to the Labour-controlled authority at the last local election in May 2023.
In a statement, Mansfield Conservatives said Councillor Brown had been a “great asset” to the party. “We will miss his enthusiasm, ideas and wise words, among many other attributes,” said group leader Cllr Andre Camilleri.
“Ben has decided to resign his seat for personal reasons outside of politics and we ask that everyone respect his privacy at this time. It’s a mark of the person that he has decided to vacate his seat without delay to allow for a new councillor to be elected who would be able to commit their work and time to enhance the lives of the residents of West Bank ward. We are sure that Ben has a very bright future ahead of him, and we want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for all the passion and energy that he brought to the role.
“He definitely made an impact both on our local party, social media, in the town and at Mansfield District Council, in the short time he was in office, and he will be missed.”
Councillor Brown, who has been approached for comment, caused controversy in December after posting a Christmas cartoon ridiculing the neighbouring town of Shirebrook.
He told Nottinghamshire Live at the time the Tories would be “doing him a favour” if they removed him from the party due to his disillusionment with the national leadership.