The Labour Party has suspended the mayor-elect of Brighton and Hove, Councillor Ty Galvin.
And in the past 24 hours the Brighton and Hove City Council website has been updated to show Councillor Galvin as an Independent.
The suspension throws into doubt whether Councillor Galvin, currently deputy mayor, will become the next mayor of Brighton and Hove at the annual council meeting in May.
It followed a complaint but the party did not disclose the nature of the complaint or whether it came from someone inside the party or someone external.
Nor did the party say what steps would be taken and the timescale for resolving the matter.
Labour said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate action is taken.”
Councillor Galvin, 85, told Brighton and Hove News: “I consider the complaint to be vexatious and I’m taking legal advice. For that reason, I can’t make any further statements at the moment.”
By convention, the mayor of Brighton and Hove serves a year as deputy mayor before being formally elected mayor by their fellow councillors.
Brighton and Hove has a ceremonial mayor rather than an executive mayor like London or Manchester, with responsibility for policy-making.
Sussex is due to have its first elected mayor from next May, taking charge of policy areas such as economic growth, strategic planning, infrastructure and housing and transport.
In Brighton and Hove, the mayor is the first citizen who represents the city and the council, welcoming official visitors and chairing meetings of the full council.
They will throw anyone under the bu$. He is 80+ have some decency!!!
Another day, another Labour Party scandal.
Can’t help but wonder how many more Labour councillors in Brighton will either jump ship, get thrown under a bus by their colleagues, or face some accusations or other forcing them to leave, before the next local elections.
It’s a mess.
When Ty Galvin was nominated to be Deputy Mayor, Council Leader Bella Sankey said “I know he’ll bring warmth, dedication and integrity to the role.”
Perhaps it’s the “integrity” part Labour now have a problem with?
If it was anything serious, presumably police would be investigating, so it sounds like more of an internal spat.
Another victim of Starmer’s anti socialist purge?
I have zero doubt the complaint is indeed vexatious, as has been the case for countless instances beforehand. The Labour party continuing to smear its own members whenever they show principles and sincerely held beliefs that differ from the right wingers who hijacked the party in 2019. Why anyone with genuine beliefs would still want to associate with it is beyond me.