Labour councillor defects to Greens

OUSEBURN POLITICIAN QUITS OVER 'DIRECTION OF PARTY'

- By DANIEL HOLLAND Local Democracy Reporter

A NEWCASTLE Labour councillor has defected to join the Green Party.

Alistair Chisholm, a Labour councillor in the Ouseburn ward since 2018, yesterday announced he is quitting the city’s ruling party.

In a letter to council leader Karen Kilgour, Coun Chisholm said he was “increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the party in government” - criticising Labour's stance on the war in Gaza, welfare cuts, and Shabana Mahmood’s asylum reforms.

His defection gives the Greens a fourth seat on the city council, which is in no overall political control.

Labour has been in power at Newcastle City Council since 2011 but now runs a minority administration, holding 36 out of 78 seats.