• About
    • Ethics policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ownership, funding and corrections
    • Complaints procedure
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
Brighton and Hove News
17 July, 2025
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Brighton and Hove News
No Result
View All Result
Home Brighton

Former Brighton Labour councillors align with The Independent Group of breakaway MPs

by Frank le Duc
Monday 25 Feb, 2019 at 8:06PM
A A
6
Council tax to go up 2.99 per cent from April

Councillor Warren Morgan

The former Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council and a colleague have joined ranks and aligned with  a group of breakaway MPs.

Councillor Warren Morgan

Councillor Warren Morgan, who served as council leader for three years until last year, has formed an Independent Group on the council after leaving Labour last week.

He is joining forces with Councillor Michael Inkpin-Leissner who left the Labour Party two years ago.

They are aligning themselves with the new Independent Group in the House of Commons, formed by eight former Labour MPs and three Tories.

The breakaway group opposes Brexit, with the eight former Labour MPs also having cited anti-semitism in their old party’s ranks.

Councillor Morgan, who represents East Brighton ward, has been an outspoken critic of Brexit – Britain’s exit from the European Union – and a vocal opponent of anti-semitism.

German-born Councillor Inkpin-Leissner, who represents Hollingdean and Stanmer ward, was an enthusiastic Remain campaigner in the referendum in 2015 and has also spoken out about anti-semitism.

Almost 70 per cent of voters in Brighton and Hove backed Remain in the referendum.

As the Independent Group is not a registered political party but a group of like-minded MPs, any support at this stage is only symbolic.

Councillor Morgan, 51, said: “Michael and I are both Independents on the council and both support the The Independent Group in Parliament but we’ve had no official contact or sanction from them so far.”

He said that he and Councillor Inkpin-Leissner, also 51, would vote with Labour on the council, effectively giving their former party 21 votes.

This would match the 21 votes that the Conservatives now have after Councillor Anne Meadows, 61, defected from Labour to the Tories last week.

Councillor Michael Inkpin-Leissner

Councillor Morgan said: “In terms of votes, we will vote with Labour, making it 21-21, with the 11 Greens holding the balance.”

He said that he had not completely ruled out standing for election again on Thursday 2 May, adding that he would find it hard after 27 years in the Labour Party.

He said: “I am very reluctant indeed to stand on any slate opposing the Labour one that has good friends on still.

“But after one of the longest weeks in politics there is relatively speaking an absolute age to go till nominations close so I won’t rule it out.”

ShareTweetShareSendSendShare

Comments 6

  1. Gilbert Bligh says:
    6 years ago

    Any politician who chooses to no longer represent the party that they were voted in for should immediately resign as they no longer have the mandate to act on behalf of the electorate.
    I think their objective is to try and hijack the democratic process in an attempt to stop brexit – their actions amount to nothing more than foot-stamping, spoilt little brats that can’t get their own way.

    Reply
    • Christopher Hawtree says:
      6 years ago

      No, the fact is that one votes for a person. Otherwise Parties would not choose between potential candidates in an area.

      And, of course, why did you not put yourself forward as a candidate rather than lay down the law from the sidelines?

      There have been these Independent “groups” of two on the Council before, such as the time when former Tories Jayne Bennett and Anne Giebler chucked it in – but I think that they could not then agree between themselves and did not become a Group.

      And last time there were three of them, including two disgraced Greens – Ben Duncan and Christina Summers – as well as Labour’s bad-tempered Leigh Farrow who became a one-man ukip councillor (he had disgraced himself on the Planning Committee, and cllr Mitchell had him thrown off it).

      Reply
  2. Cllr Michael Inkpin-Leissner says:
    6 years ago

    We both were elected to support the Labour Group. That is what we do. And trust me, we will keep Momentum out of this as long as possible to get proper work done. Brighton and Hove does not need lakeland policies, which can’t be afforded!

    Reply
    • Gilbert Bligh says:
      6 years ago

      You have aligned yourself to a group that is making a futile attempt to stop Brexit.
      The Labour party are committed to implementing Brexit – if you and Morgan don’t agree with that, you should resign and allow someone to stand for the Labour party who is prepared to support their policies.
      Also, stop using ‘anti-semitism’ as a smokescreen for the real issue – the undemocratic prevention of Brexit.

      Reply
  3. Gilbert Bligh says:
    6 years ago

    The electorate mostly vote for a person belonging to a main political party that is going to run the country or council – voting for an individual person is almost pointless without that person representing a political party.. either Labour or Conservatives have formed Governments for the last hundred years.. your response shows you to be in alliance with our anti-democracy seeking rebels… and as a Green party member and remain supporter there is no surprise there – as I said, these ‘rebels’ should resign immediately and let the electorate decide who they want to represent them – I used to laugh at the monster raving loony candidates.. that’s exactly what we’ve got with this new bunch of clowns

    Reply
  4. Chris says:
    6 years ago

    More and more people I know are totally fed up, p…ed off, exasperated, angry and disgusted at the antics of both main political parties, let alone the minor ones, and wish that politics would simply cease to exist in favour of more representatives who actually appear to want to help the country and population rather than chasing their own dreams or those of their deluded leaders. Independent groups are attractive, although ineffective which is also frustrating. Add to this the apparent ineptitude of council officers, civil servants (now there’s a misnomer), and many company employees and it makes for a lot of unhappy people who can’t do anything about the situation.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most read

How Brighton’s most useful shop keeps helping customers even though it’s closed

Brighton lawyer sold himself dead woman’s house for knockdown price, court told

Plans for £6.9m swimming pool go before council cabinet

Sinkhole appears outside financially troubled Brighton school

Bus info upgrade delays leaves passengers wondering when bus will turn up

Former Brighton student’s killer dies in Australian prison

Former Brighton Labour councillors align with The Independent Group of breakaway MPs

Smell from recycling site troubles neighbours, says councillor

Water company brings in hosepipe ban after dry spring and heatwaves

Group set up to focus on anti-social behaviour

Newsletter

Arts and Culture

  • All
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Food and Drink
An evening of goth sounds with The March Violets

An evening of goth sounds with The March Violets

15 July 2025
Love Supreme Festival 2025 – Day Three with Maxwell and friends

Love Supreme Festival 2025 – Day Three with Maxwell and friends

14 July 2025
Jessica Winter has ‘Got Something Good’ going on

Jessica Winter has ‘Got Something Good’ going on

13 July 2025
Palindrones headline a night of darkwave sounds in Brighton

Palindrones headline a night of darkwave sounds in Brighton

13 July 2025
Load More

Sport

  • All
  • Brighton and Hove Albion
  • Cricket
Plans for £6.9m swimming pool go before council cabinet

Plans for £6.9m swimming pool go before council cabinet

by Sarah Booker-Lewis - local democracy reporter
15 July 2025
35

Plans for a new public swimming pool are due to go before Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet on Thursday...

Sussex Sharks open T20 Blast with a win

Hampshire Hawks thwart Sussex Sharks in Blast

by Alex Smith - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
13 July 2025
0

Hampshire Hawks 171-4 (17.2 overs) Sussex Sharks 167-7 (20 overs) Hampshire Hawks win by six wickets James Vince hit the...

We have an awful lot of work to do, says Sussex coach

Sussex must up their game in T20, says disappointed Farbrace

by Alex Smith - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
11 July 2025
1

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said: “It is a hugely disappointing night. We haven’t been consistent in the last three...

Sussex Sharks open T20 Blast with a win

Sussex Sharks flounder against Essex in T20 at Chelmsford

by Alex Smith - ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
11 July 2025
0

Essex 148-4 (16.1 overs) Sussex Sharks 145 (18.2 overs) Sussex Sharks lost to Essex by six wickets Michael Pepper’s pyrotechnical...

Load More
February 2019
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728  
« Jan   Mar »

RSS From Sussex News

  • Suspected fare dodger attacks ticket inspector on train 15 July 2025
  • Man dies in three-car crash 13 July 2025
  • Boy, 15, injured in sword attack 13 July 2025
  • Water company brings in hosepipe ban after dry spring 11 July 2025
  • Police officer spared prison after being caught with child porn 11 July 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy
  • Complaints
  • Ownership, funding and corrections
  • Ethics
  • T&C

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Contact

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News