Councillor can ‘best serve’ as independent
WINDSOR: A Royal Borough councillor has left the West Windsor Residents Association (WWRA) party, claiming he can ‘best serve those he represents’ as an independent councillor, writes Kieran Bell.
Cllr Jon Davey (Clewer and Dedworth West) said in a statement that the party is going through ‘a period of change’ and that his decision does not impact his work with fellow councillors.
The WWRA was formed as a political party back in 2016 following controversy at the previous election, in which two additional independent councillors stood for Clewer North.
Chairman of the WWRA, Richard Endacott, said that the vote to change from a residents’ association to a political party six years ago was a narrow one – adding that the committee was soon due to have another vote on whether to return back to a residents’ association.
Cllr Davey was elected as a Royal Borough councillor at the 2019 local elections, in which the Conservative majority was slashed.
“WWRA is currently going through a period of change. Whilst this review is underway I have decided that I can best serve those I represent as an independent councillor,” Cllr Davey said.
“This does not impact on the way I work with my fellow councillors from all parties.”
Mr Endacott said that Cllr Davey's decision has the full backing of the WWRA.
But he did confirm that the committee would be holding a vote soon on whether to no longer be known as a political party, calling local politics ‘petty’.
Mr Endacott added that the additional independent councillors in 2015 ‘split the vote’ and ‘confused voters’.
“To counter this, it was decided by the membership of the WWRA in a public meeting in 2016 for the residents’ association to register as a political party; a successful strategy which saw three independent WWRA members to be elected in the 2019 election cycle,” he said.
“It has become evident that whilst being a registered political party enables voters to clearly identify who they are voting for, it does detract from the main purpose of a residents’ association which is to promote and safeguard the interests of the residents of that area. It is the view of the committee that independent councillors benefit from being able to make decisions based on local residents’ concerns with no party whip, putting people before politics.”