Political

Labour Party splits into two in Doncaster

It looks as if the impending self-imposed term limit for the Labour Mayor of Doncaster has helped trigger a split in the Labour Group.

The current Labour Mayor, Martin Winter, has twice been elected as Mayor. But, Labour’s internal rules don’t allow someone to run for a third time. Winter does not seem to be taking that as a definite block on remaining Mayor:

Doncaster’s mayor, Martin Winter, has been given an ultimatum by party officials after it emerged he and two other leading Labour councillors in the borough had set up their own independent group in the wake of the local elections earlier this month.

Furious regional party officials have told Mayor Winter and cabinet members Stuart Exelby and Eva Hughes that they have until the end of next week to reverse their move or they will no longer be members of the Labour Party.

But locally, loyal Doncaster councillors believe there will be no turning back and the controversial mayor, who is in the last year of his second term in power, and his two colleagues made a calculated decision … [Labour] Coun Jameson described his party colleagues’ action as “a unilateral declaration of independence” which was potentially linked to Mayor Winter preparing to stand as an independent next year. “This would have been a considered decision and not something decided in the heat of the moment,” he said. [Yorkshire Post]

The name of this new group? “The Labour Group”. Somehow, I don’t think this is going to end pleasantly…

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