A Conservative councillor has quit the party in protest at its position on the confict in the Middle East.
Samer Bagaeen, who has been a councillor since 2019, handed his notice into the Tory group on Brighton and Hove City Council yesterday.
He will now be sitting as an independent councillor.
He said: “I resigned from the group because of differences to do with the national party’s position on the Middle East.
“It’s nothing to do with Brighton and Hove or the work we are doing locally.”
He said he didn’t want to elaborate on the differences he had with the Conservatives’ position on the Middle East.
He said he was intending on representing his ward – Westdene and Hove Park – as an independent, adding: “Because we are shifting to a cabinet system, all of us are going to have to reflect on how we represent residents.”
Councillor Alistair McNair, leader of the Conservative group, said: “We respect Samer’s decision to step back from the Conservative Party.
“We will continue to work with Samer in Hove Park and Westdene to ensure residents receive the help they need.”
Councillor Bagaeen, 51, was elected to the Hove Park ward in 2019, and to the new Westdene and Hove Park ward last year – one of only four sitting Conservative councillors to keep their seats. With Councillor Bagaeen’s resignation, the party now has five councillors.
He is a town planning director and professor of planning and resilience.
Editor’s note: the story has been edited after clarification that Councillor Bagaeen has quit the national party.
Cll Hogg@n should do the same maybe even cross the floor to join with the Blair lot.
Good. Let’s see more Councillors defecting from their morally bankrupt national parties to focus on serving the local electorate they were elected to serve.
Do you think he’s suddenly going to change his mind over all the other Tory policies he’s supported in the past and the manifesto he got elected on?
I bet that come any votes in council meetings he’ll still be voting the same way as all the other Tories on the council.
Complete respect for Samers decision. Very disturbing situation in the Middle East and very concerning response by our political parties.
Samer is a great councillor, and given conservatives are not my flavour of politics, I’m delighted he will be now be an independant.
Good for Cllr Bageen for standing by his principals, it is shocking that not a single Labour councillor has not done the same and they are all tacitly supporting the atrocities being carried out in Gaza. When (ex) Conservatives have the moral high ground over Labour it says a lot more about Labour than anyone else.
You don’t know the full story though do you ? Just look at one of the other Tory councillor’s Facebook profile and you will then spot where there is a complete differing of opinion on Gaza !
I respect his decision here; I suspect there is also an aspect of this to do with the current Conservative meltdown we are seeing, such as the demonising of disabled people Sunak has articulated this morning, which makes this decision a lot easier.
I wonder, but will never get an answer for, if CON were popular and in charge, would he have made the same decision?
If you give in to terrorism or allow your citizenship and country to be attacked without the strongest response you will be seen as weak and vulnerable place. Hamas has to be crushed and their Iranian master put in their place.
Enough is enough.
Not related to anything I said, but ok.
Rats leaving the sinking ship, trying to be honourable when you’re in a Party that doesn’t know the meaning of the word honour or morality!
Tens of thousands are dead because of Tory policies! Suicides are the biggest killer now in the UK!
That’s the appalling record for the Conservative government!
And they lecture us constantly on morality yet these sexual deviants and perverts in the parliamentary party are an affront to the people of this country who have ti struggle daily just to survive and suffered so much through the most disgusting and disgraceful of parliaments – ever!
The sooner the Conservative Party are consigned to the dustbin of infamy, the better!
Suicide kills more people than heart disease or cancer? I don’t believe that for a moment.
Suicide was #27 in the most recent dataset I could find.
Yes because your beloved party doing nothing over a thing happening a long way away that they have no influence over in any way is very important.
More reasons to divorce national politics and Councillors.
Vote independent at council level. Vote for the person who you think will do the best job for you and the corporation of Brighton and Hove.
I agree with focusing on the local at this level, because that’s where you can facilitate change. Like you said, far away, and little influence means I personally would be prioritising differently.
The man is a city planner by profession, right? His skills and knowledge would be best used in that capacity; I’d hate to think he holds back due to political party.
He’s got rid of the weeds, so he gets my vote!
Having watched quite a few webcasts of meetings I have always felt this councillor is one of the more thoughtful. Don’t know him but I do know he engages in debates intelligently rather than just spouting a party line. We would probably not agree on Middle East policy but I respect his point of view and the measured way he generally puts it across.
It’s a good point about amicable and articulate discourse.
Have an opinion, but respect others opinion, be knowledge about why you hold that opinion, attempt to persuade, rather than berate.
Didn’t know he represented my ward he’s never done anything apart wanting those of us that live on the estates to pay to park outside our houses, a complete duffer
What estates are in Hove Park ward? Or Westdene?
What estates are in Hove Park ward? Or Westdene?