Sunderland Liberal Democrats leader calls on defecting councillors to resign and 'let voters decide' in by-elections

Liberal Democrat councillors Allen Curtis, Doxford ward member, and George Smith, Pallion ward member, announced they were resigning to join the council’s ruling Labour Group this week.

The announcement was made ahead of a full council meeting on September 13, 2023, at City Hall, with both councillors releasing statements criticising their former party.

This included claims the Lib Dems were “talking the city down and scoring cheap political points as opposed to actually delivering for communities”, as well as the “overwhelming pressures” of campaigning placed on councillors by the party.

Earlier this year, Pallion councillor Colin Nicholson left the Lib Dems to become an independent stating in an open letter to residents that he felt the need to “choose his residents over his party”.

This week’s resignations mean the Liberal Democrats, who became the official majority party in opposition on the council after the local elections in May, 2023, will slip back into third place, behind the Conservatives.

Councillor Paul Edgeworth, who became the new leader of the Wearside Liberal Democrats after the 2023 local elections, has responded to the latest resignations.

In a statement following Wednesday’s full council meeting, the Lib Dem leader called for Pallion’s Cllr Smith and Doxford’s Cllr Curtis to resign to “fight by-elections and let the voters decide”.

Cllr Edgeworth said:”The Liberal Democrats expect our councillors to meet very high standards when it comes to the service we provide to residents, including engaging proactively with local people, running campaigns and fighting for a fair deal for our communities.

“It is a shame that these councillors don’t share our ethos of working hard and keeping in touch with residents all year round.

“Local people in Pallion and Doxford wards haven’t come close to electing a Labour councillor for years.

“Instead of disrespecting the very people who elected them as Lib Dems, these two should do the decent thing – resign to fight by-elections and let the voters decide who they want to represent them.”

News of the Lib Dem defections was referenced several times during the full council meeting at City Hall on September 13, 2023.

Lib Dem Group leader Cllr Edgeworth congratulated Conservative Group leader councillor, Antony Mullen, on his reinstatement as the leader of the majority opposition “for now”.

Cllr Edgeworth also referenced “a local difficulty he was dealing with” but did not explain further.

Conservative Group leader Cllr Antony Mullen, later in the meeting, said he had been “thrust once again into majority [opposition] party status” by a “twist of fate”.

Cllr Mullen added he “suspected that the bat signal will be going up above Merseyside calling for the return of Cllr Niall Hodson”, Sunderland City Council’s former Lib Dem Group leader.

The Lib Dems have not been alone in seeing defections and resignations in Sunderland this year.

Ryhope councillor Usman Ali left the Conservative Group to join Labour in March, 2023, while January, 2023, saw Washington South Conservative councillor Paul Donaghy join Reform UK.

Also in January, Barnes councillor Helen Greener announced she was quitting the Conservatives to sit as an independent councillor after not being selected to stand again in the seat in May’s elections.

Cllr Greener did not defend the seat as an independent, which was gained by the Labour Party.

The new political make-up of Sunderland City Council is 48 Labour, 12 Liberal Democrats, 13 Conservatives, one Reform UK and one independent.