A senior member of Hull City Council has left the Labour Party and will continue as an Independent councillor.
The Labour Party has confirmed that Cllr Hester Bridges, who represents the Southcoates ward in the council, has left the party.
Cllr Bridges last week stood down as the deputy leader of the Labour group in Hull City Council however it has since emerged that she has left the party altogether.
In the last full council meeting, held on May 15, the leader of the Hull Labour Group, Cllr Daren Hale, thanked Cllr Bridges for her time as his deputy. He said: “I’d like to thank my outgoing deputy Hester, who obviously chose not to re-stand [as deputy leader], for her brilliant efforts in the last few years. She’s had a thankless task having to be my deputy and I do genuinely thank her for her efforts on behalf of the council and the Labour group.”
Cllr Bridges’ former role as deputy leader has been taken up by Cllr Sharon Hofman, of the Bricknell ward.
Cllr Bridges has now become the third Hull City councillor to leave their respective parties to sit as independents. Earlier this year two Liberal Democrat councillors, Sherilee Jepmond and Julia Conner left the ruling Lib Dems to join forces with Cllr Gary Wareing who was until then the only Independent in the council.
Following Cllr Bridges’ defection, the political weighting of Hull City Council is as follows:
Liberal Democrat: 29
Labour Party: 24
Independent: 4
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