Fifth Dudley councillor announces departure from Labour Party in a week
Councillor for Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood, Luke Hamblett has left the party 'with a heavy heart'.
Cllr Hamblett's departure marks the fifth resignation the Dudley Labour Group has seen this week, with the group's former leader, Cllr Pete Lowe, and Cllrs Peter Drake, Karl Denning and Matt Cook having all also stepped away from the party.
It comes following concerns raised over the party's planned welfare reforms that were announced on Tuesday (March 18).
Cllr Hamblett cited concerns about removing winter fuel payments, raising National Insurance contributions for employers and the two-child benefit cap as reasons for his resignation, saying 'enough is enough'.
Read more: Three more Dudley councillors resign from Labour Party after former leader quits
He said: 'With dismay at first and then disgust, I watched as a Labour government kept the two-child benefit cap, removed winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners and are now targeting people with disabilities.'
Cllr Hamblett also accused the party of 'getting it wrong with the economy', adding that as an accountant himself, he 'can already see the devastating impact which the National Insurance rise will have on small to medium-sized businesses' in the borough.
He also accused the Dudley Labour Group of being 'rudderless and afraid to speak out' locally.
Cllr Hamblett will now sit as an independent representative on Dudley Council.
The West Midlands Labour declined to comment on Cllr Hamblett's resignation from the party.
In light of Cllr Lowe's departure on Wednesday (March 19), the first that came to light this week, a spokesperson said: 'Labour inherited a broken welfare system from the Conservatives, which risked a generation of young people being written off and millions of people who want to work not getting the support they need.
'Labour will deliver a social security system that is fit for the future. One that is fairer, sustainable and that provides vital support to those who need it most."
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