East Riding and Hessle Councillor resigns from Labour Party
Cllr David Nolan has expressed his concerns with Keir Starmer's leadership and policy failures
In a strong statement today, Cllr David Nolan of East Riding and Hessle announced his resignation from the Labour Party, citing growing dissatisfaction with the party's leadership under Keir Starmer.
Nolan, who serves as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group on East Riding Council, voted his concerns over the lack of direction and cohesion within the party, as well as its recent policy stances that he believes betray the core values of Labour.
Nolan’s resignation is driven by what he describes as Starmer’s "inept leadership" and a shift away from Labour's traditional focus on social justice.
"The Party has no political direction or a sense of what it stands for," he said, adding that Starmer’s apparent fondness for luxuries such as expensive clothing, football tickets, and spectacles reflects poor judgment for a leader of a party that claims to represent the working class and vulnerable people.
He also highlighted a series of policy decisions that he feels undermine the party’s credibility, including the deprivation of pensioners’ Heating Allowance and the targeting of disabled individuals.
The Councillor also expressed disappointment in Labour’s approach to the ongoing migration debate, accusing the party of using "language that lacks compassion, humanity or balanced judgment." Nolan found particular fault with Starmer’s comments labelling migrants on small boats as a "major problem" and referring to the UK as a "country of strangers."
Perhaps the most divisive issue, according to Nolan, is Labour's new policy requiring all residents to carry digital ID cards. He argued that the initiative, which was not part of Labour’s manifesto, is a "gimmick" designed to appear tough on illegal immigration, yet it would ultimately burden taxpayers with the cost of issuing millions of unnecessary cards.
Despite his resignation from the Labour Party, Nolan emphasized that his decision is motivated solely by national policy decisions and not by his experience at the local level.
Nolan has confirmed that he will continue his role as a Councillor for the East Riding and Hessle Town Council, but made it clear that he would no longer serve as a Labour Party member.