THE Middlesbrough Independent Group (MIG) has named its new leader amid criticism of Cllr Antony High’s defection to Labour.

Cllr Chris Hobson will be heading up MIG after the former leader, Cllr High, joined the Labour Group on Tuesday. However, the move has prompted criticism from MIG, the Conservatives and the Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association (MICA).

Cllr Hobson said: “To be honest, I was devastated with the information from Antony High that he has gone to Labour. It was an absolute shock that this has happened. We are trying to make a bad situation better. We now have myself as leader and Stefan Walker as the new deputy.

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“We are now going onwards and upwards. As leader going forward, I would like to make sure that we engage with all independents and we get the independent group running as one.”

This includes working with MICA to try and get all the independents on the same page. A statement from MIG said that it was “regrettable” that Cllr High had left but that the group wished him the best and thanked him for steering the group.

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It added: “Our philosophy and the belief of every member of our group is simple: The interests of the town we have been voted to represent come before the interests of whatever political group we represent. On a local level, we do not believe that traditional party politics encourages this mindset.

“Instead the opposite seems to be true, political party first, Middlesbrough second. Our focus then remains unchanged: Working hard to represent our residents and push for better outcomes for all the residents of Middlesbrough.”

‘Ferociously and venomously attacking the Labour Group’

Leader of MICA, Mick Saunders, said that Cllr High had repeatedly insulted the Labour Party in the past. He added: “I’m not really surprised at Antony Highs’ decision in joining the Labour Group as rumours have been rife for some time after his failed power grab after asking the mayor to resign.

“My surprise is what this Labour Group will do to increase numbers. While Antony High was an independent deputy mayor and helping to turn around adult social care/children’s services and youth provision he was ferociously and venomously attacking the Labour Group on failing those services.

“Not forgetting his venomous attacks on Labour MP Andy Mcdonald during his campaign in the 2019 General Election. Even a well-respected Labour Party member in Chris Snowdon has voiced his concerns on social media regarding Antony High joining the Labour Group.”

‘Errors of judgement’

Cllr Joan McTigue has asked whether Cllr High would apologise to Andy McDonald for his previous derogatory comments about him. This includes calling for the MP to stand down when he failed to pass on £750 he gathered from subletting his taxpayer-funded office to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

In a statement after his defection, Cllr High said: “I want to be open about the fact I have made some errors of judgement during the early stages of my political career and I will look to rectify these over time, with help from the Labour Group and Labour supporters. Going forward I will be working hard with other members to help local and national Labour win back the hearts and minds of voters.”

Mr McDonald has said that he is looking forward to working with Cllr High and extended the invitation to people across the town to join the party. He added: “Antony was kind enough to talk to me not just about his frustrations of the false promises and failures of the Independent leadership in the Town Hall but also of his fervent desire to join the Labour family and I extend a warm welcome to him.

“He spoke warmly and proudly of his Middlesbrough working-class background and his family Labour roots and I know he feels that he has now come home.”

‘He’s left his own Independent group entirely in the lurch’

However, the Conservatives have also used this as an opportunity to take a swipe at Labour and the former deputy mayor. The current deputy mayor Mieka Smiles said: “Antony failed in his self-serving attempt to topple our democratically elected mayor and now he is shafting the people who voted for him as part of an independent movement, that was focussed on clearing out the party that has held us back for so many years.

“Not only that but he’s left his own Independent group entirely in the lurch. However this won’t in any way impact the work that’s going on in this town – from transforming our high street to creating new jobs to protecting our neglected heritage. Middlesbrough is on the up.”

Cllr David Coupe, who is the leader of the Conservative Group and an executive member, said that voters will feel betrayed by the move. He added: “This will come as a shock and a disappointment to all those who voted for Antony precisely because they wanted to get rid of Labour.

“Especially so with Antony having been so outspoken about Labour in the past and even having stood as an independent candidate for Parliament. For many voters, this will feel like a betrayal. They voted independent – they got Labour.”

‘A positive step across to my natural political home’

Cllr High has said that since there are council elections next year it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money to call a by-election early.

Following the announcement, Cllr High said: “I was proud that as deputy mayor for Middlesbrough, I remodelled the vulnerable adult services, turned around a failing children’s service, reintroduced youth provision in the town and fought to save council jobs and front-line public services. In essence, I’ve been doing a Labour member’s job since day one, but without a red rosette.

“With that in mind, I have taken the decision to join the Labour Party and Middlesbrough Labour Group with immediate effect. I see this as a positive step across to my natural political home. As a kid who grew up on a council estate from a working-class family and in a deprived area, I know the barriers people face daily and I believe that Labour is the only party that is on the side of working people.”

Cllr Matt Storey, leader of the Labour Group, has also welcomed the move.

He said: “Antony High is a former deputy mayor, the second most high profile Independent in Middlesbrough, and his decision says a lot about the state of the current Independent/Tory administration running Middlesbrough Council. The message it sends is that this experiment has failed. We have a mayor who is mired in scandal, obsessed with his own self-promotion and afraid to take tough decisions.

“This has left the council dysfunctional and reliant on Labour to deliver budgets and new services like pest control, extra funding for youth services and protection for local council staff like lollipop ladies and cleaners. I look forward to working with Antony and the Labour Group to secure a Labour council and a Labour mayor at next year’s elections and to deliver the positive change our area needs.”

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