Former Mayor quits Labour to stand as independent

nlnews@archant.co.uk
03 February 2010

Sheik Thompson

A LONG-serving councillor and former Haringey Mayor has resigned from the Labour party - adding to a growing list of deserters and leaving Labour's control of the council on a knife-edge.

Councillor Sheik Thompson said he had "struggled" under Labour's administration and would now stand as an independent at this year's local elections to retain his seat in Tottenham Hale.

The opposition Liberal Democrats said his decision was a sign of a ruling party in "meltdown". Labour now has an overall majority of the just one seat - with the composition of the new-look council being: Labour 29, Liberal Democrat 26; Conservative one and Independent one.

Councillor Thompson said his departure, which he had mulled over for more than nine months, was because he valued "integrity" more than "slavish loyalty".

In an open letter to council leader Councillor Claire Kober on Tuesday, he said: "There is no easy option or opportunism in my bones. I live in Tottenham Hale ward and will continue to represent the multitude of all those people who live in my ward and need proper representation from their elected councillors."

He later added: "The behaviour (of the Labour party) has not been supportive, nor fair to all the people who make up our community which is thankfully diverse and quite vibrant even so, in spite of the difficult attitude and decisions colleagues have taken towards many of them during this administration."

Councillor Thompson, a renowned jazz musician, who was Mayor of Haringey in 2007-08, has long been a thorn in the Labour Party's side, refusing to take the party line and often voting in line with his beliefs.

He said he no longer recognised the party he had supported all his life, adding that many of his constituents had urged him to stand as an independent. His move follows the defection of cabinet member Councillor Brian Haley last month to the Lib-Dems and Noel Park ward Councillor Alan Dobbie's move to the Conservatives last year.

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Robert Gorrie said: "This is clearly a Labour council in meltdown - a group who can't and won't work together for the good of local residents, and who remain hamstrung by their own failure to provide real change for residents. The election in May can't come soon enough."

Labour chief whip Councillor Joe Goldberg said: "Councillor Thompson was not selected as a Labour Party candidate for Tottenham Hale. This was a democratic decision taken by local party members living in the ward. Democratic processes often produce results that are not to the liking of everyone. We are the only party to maintain this level of democracy for council candidate selections and I believe it keeps us closer to communities we seek to serve.