A STALYBRIDGE councillor has defected from Tameside Council’s ruling Labour party, claiming he has been bullied.
Sam Gosling, who represents the town’s North ward, has quit the majority group after running out of patience of his concerns being heard.
At the meeting of the authority’s full council tonight (Tuesday, December 6), Cllr Gosling laid bare what he believes he has been subjected to.
He also claims the group did not take his grievances seriously.
Now he will serve on the council as an independent after stepping away from the Labour Party.
A statement was meant to be read by Conservative Stalybridge South Councillor Liam Billington, but chair of council business Joe Kitchen objected him making it, paused the meeting and asked him to stop speaking, with an online feed of the audio being cut.
However, The Correspondent has obtained a copy and Cllr Gosling wrote: “I would like to announce. with immediate effect, my resignation from the Labour group and the Labour Party and will be finishing my term as an Independent councillor.
“Over the last four-and-a-half years as a member of the Labour group, I have been persistently bullied and treated in a way that has had a detrimental effect on my mental and physical health.
“I have been left unable to attend meetings due to anxiety and stress.
“I have had various whip meetings in an attempt to resolve these issues. Sadly, on each occasion the issues have been minimised and at times even trivialised.
“As a victim, I should not have been blamed but this has been the reality, with the councillor who I have had cause to complain about on multiple occasions, unbelievably in my opinion. being promoted since.”
Cllr Gosling, who won the last local election but was thought to have not been selected to stand for Labour in the forthcoming ‘all-out’ vote, is in no doubt the alleged actions – and the lack of action towards them – forced his hand.
He added: “Since being elected in 2018, I have worked with some great people and made some lifelong friends, which makes this decision even harder.
“However. I can no longer, in good faith, be a member of a party or part of a group or CLP (Constituency Labour Party) that has such little respect for mental health issues and has failed in its duty of care towards one of its members.”
The Correspondent has approached Stalybridge and Hyde Labour Party for comment.