Calderdale Labour councillor defects to Reform UK
Illingworth and Mixenden councillor Dan Sutherland says Labour no longer represents his values
A long-standing Labour councillor has left the party to join Reform UK.
Illingworth and Mixenden councillor Dan Sutherland, who has held his seat as a Labour councillor since 2010, was unveiled as Reform UK’s first Calderdale councillor in a video message this afternoon.
Coun Sutherland (Reform, Illingworth and Mixenden) said he had made the decision because he believed Labour was no longer in tune with his values.
“Today, I’m making a change.
“I’ve officially left the Labour Party and joined Reform UK.
“For too long, I’ve watched the Labour Party move away from the values that I, and the people I represent, stand for.
“I tried to make change from the inside, but enough is enough,” he said.
Coun Sutherland said he “didn’t enter politics to play party political games”.
“I entered politics to make a real change for my community, which has far too long been forgotten and left behind.
“If you’re a Labour voter who feels let down and betrayed, then join us,” he said.
Welcoming him to the party, Penny Hutchinson, a former Conservative candidate for that party in Calderdale, said: “The work Dan does in Illingworth and Mixenden speaks for itself and I’m really looking forward to us all working together to do even more.”
Coun Sutherland is a former Labour Cabinet member, holding the Planning, Housing and Environment portfolios, and was first elected to the council for the ward in 2010, being re-elected in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Coun Sutherland’s defection reduces Labour’s majority but they retain overall control of the council.