UPDATE: |Stockport councillor suspended amid ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp scandal quits Labour Party News

He plans to stand down as a councillor in 2027.

A Stockport councillor suspended by Labour amid the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp group scandal has left the party.

Coun David Sedgwick, who represents the Heatons North ward as an independent, was suspended in February.

The 37-year-old told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he made the decision to leave the party after he learned he would be suspended and that he plans to stand down as a councillor when his current term ends in 2027.

“It’s very amicable, I still have close working relationships with most people in the [Stockport] Labour group, and I’m still a party supporter, it’s more of an administrative thing than anything else,” Coun Sedgwick said.

“Had it not happened [the WhatsApp group story] of course there’s no reason why I wouldn’t be a member of the Labour party, I just reached the end of my tether with it really, and thought it was best for everyone, there’s no ill feeling or malice, it was just my decision.”

Coun Sedgwick said he will take the Labour whip ‘within reason’ during votes at Stockport council meetings, because he was elected under the party’s banner.

He added: “It’s a difficult decision because I’ve been a member of the party since I was 15… but in a sense it’s liberating as well, because you don’t have to do all the party stuff that it expects from you.”

Stockport colleague Coun Holly McCormack was also suspended by Labour as part of its investigation into the WhatsApp group, along with nine councillors from Tameside.

Coun McCormack remains an independent in the council chamber.

Coun David Meller, the leader of Stockport Labour group, said: “We respect Coun Sedgwick’s decision and would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his service to the Labour party.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with him for the remainder of his term.”

Stockport council is run by a Lib Dem minority administration, holding 30 council seats to Labour’s 21.

****

Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it.

That’s why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do – bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don’t miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News.

And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here.

You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street.

If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you’ll be the first to hear about it.

And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on [email protected] or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.