Labour councillor deemed ‘unfit’ to stand for election delivers blistering attack on local party as he resigns during meeting

A Labour councillor deemed ‘unfit’ to stand for re-election launched a blistering attack on his local party as he resigned during a town hall meeting. Coun Matt Wynne has been barred from running for Labour at Stockport’s ‘all out’ local elections in May after being rejected by a panel and then losing his appeal.

The furious Edgeley and Cheadle Heath representative last week claimed he had fallen victim to a ‘weaponised’ selection process following a ‘gradual takeover of the local party’s machinery’ by what he called the ‘far left’. And he took the opportunity to go out with a bang at Thursday night’s full council meeting, resigning as a Labour councillor and branding the party ‘not fit for purpose’.

“The whole saga has shown how out of control and out of touch the local party is at present while under the grip of a hard left cult led by the MP for Stockport and his office,” he told councillors. “I still hold Labour values, I always will. I’m a proud working class land and I’m of working class stock.

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"To be told by retired middle class professionals that I’m not fit to represent Edgeley, without good reason, shows where we are at.” However, despite quitting Labour, Coun Wynne declared his intention to carry on serving residents in Edgeley and Cheadle Heath for the remainder of his term

“I will continue to represent and graft for our community with a strong sense of public service ethos, passion, respect, dignity and pride,” said Coun Wynne, who is currently vice-chair of the council’s licensing committee. First elected in May 2019, Coun Wynne says he is proud of what Labour achieved