THE leader of the Middlesbrough Independent Group has defected and joined the Labour Party.

Cllr Antony High has been welcomed to Labour by Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald and the party’s group leader Cllr Matt Storey after he switched allegiance.

Cllr High was the former deputy mayor of Middlesbrough, however, he resigned in May 2021 accusing Mayor Andy Preston of “consistent poor conduct and behaviour” in an explosive letter, which the mayor said was “completely untrue.”

An external investigation is currently being conducted by Bevan Brittan into the mayor following bullying allegations, but he has said that it is the “latest in a long line of dirty tricks” and called it a “mudslinging campaign”.

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Cllr High stood against Mr McDonald in the 2019 General Election as an independent candidate.

Following the announcement, Cllr High said: “In 2019 I was elected as an independent councillor for Ayresome ward. I was over the moon to represent the area I live in and to help people, whilst also serving the town I love.

“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. 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.”

When asked whether he had future ambitions to stand as the party’s mayoral candidate next year, Cllr High said that his focus at the moment was to be a good Labour councillor. During the 2019 general election, Cllr High said that Mr McDonald was a politician who had “rested on his laurels” and also said he had “completely forgotten the needs of his constituency” over his former shadow transport secretary position.

In response to the announcement, Mr McDonald said: “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.

“Antony wants a better deal for Middlesbrough people. He knows that Middlesbrough and the country need Labour in office to deliver policies that matter to people – socially and economically just policies that make a positive difference to peoples’ lives, that address their real needs and priorities and deliver on their aspirations and ambitions they have for themselves, their families and their communities.

“I look forward to working with him and extend the invitation across our town to come and join us.”

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At the end of last year, the Labour Party won the North Ormesby by-election after independent Ashley Waters resigned and Cllr Storey has that Cllr High’s defection is a sign that the party is “regaining trust” in the town. He added: “I am pleased that Antony has decided to join the Labour Party and Middlesbrough Labour Group.

“The fact Antony has chosen to join Labour, and our recent victory in the North Ormesby by-election, are clear signals that we are regaining trust and credibility across Middlesbrough. Labour is the political home for anyone who wants to ensure our town continues to prosper and grow and for anyone who wants to tackle poverty and deprivation in our communities.

“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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