A Labour Party councillor on East Riding Of Yorkshire Council has announced his resignation from the party citing the Government’s recent digital ID announcement as his “final straw”. Cllr David Nolan described the idea as being “an erosion of our civil liberties”.
Cllr Nolan, who represents the Hessle ward, has announced his departure from the party he joined less than two years ago. In early 2024, Cllr Nolan defected to the Labour Party after having been a Liberal Democrat party member for 45 years.
In a statement, Cllr Nolan said: “My resignation is because of the inept leadership of Keir Starmer. The party has no political direction or a sense of what it is supposed to stand for. His fondness for freebies including expensive clothes, spectacles and football tickets, shows a distasteful lack of judgement.
“Depriving pensioners of their Heating Allowance and then punching down on the disabled, shows a lack of understanding of what Labour is about. Labour should be standing up for the have-nots, not only for ‘working people’.”
The councillor has said this “final straw” was the announcement of mandatory digital ID cards. The Government argues that the new digital IDs, which are planned to be introduced by the end of this Parliament, will help crack down on those illegally working in the UK.
On the announcement, Cllr Nolan said: “As well as being an unnecessary cost, ID cards is an erosion of our civil liberties. We are citizens to which the Government exists only to serve. We are not subjects of this Government.”
Cllr Nolan has also criticised the Government’s response to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. He claimed: “The failure to condemn Israel’s genocide in Gaza shows moral cowardice. The language being used to describe migrants on small boats as a major problem and referring to the UK as a ‘country of strangers’ lacks any compassion, humanity or balanced judgement.”
He added: “My reasons for resigning from Labour are all to do with the national Government. At local and regional level, I have enjoyed working with Labour councillors and party members. I know they are committed to Labour values and working for residents. I feel sorry they are being let down by this Government.
“However, when the band you are in starts to play different tunes, then it is time to move on. It is time to say ‘not in my name’. I shall continue to remain as a councillor on the East Riding and Hessle Town Council but no longer as a Labour Party member.”
In response to Cllr Nolan’s resignation, the leader of East Riding Council’s Labour group, Cllr Steve Gallant, said: “I’m sorry Cllr Nolan has decided to leave the party over national Government decisions. He has made a great contribution to the East Riding Labour Group since he joined us nearly two years ago.
“However, I believe he is wrong because this Labour Government is the only party that can deliver the better future for the UK and see off the challenge of Farage’s divisive party.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
