Hartlepool MP slams 'chameleon council' after pro-Brexit collation takes over

Hartlepool’s MP has criticised the town’s ‘chameleon’ council after 10 councillors, including the council leader, joined The Brexit Party.
Mike HillMike Hill
Mike Hill

Hartlepool MP Mike Hill, who represents Labour, said he found the move ‘astonishing’.

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Mr Hill said: “I just find it astonishing that a good number of councillors will have changed party at least three times in the last couple of years: from UKIP to Independent Union and now the Brexit Party.

“It truly is a Chameleon Council and the local electorate must be thinking what the hell is going on and what happened to their vote.

“Most people will see this move to be pure opportunism and jumping on the Farage bandwagon; nothing to do with running the Council, looking after the people and providing the kind of services they should be focused on.

“The fact that the Tories continue to remain coalition partners on the Council also puts pay to Boris Johnson’s claim that the Tories would never get into bed with the Brexit Party in a General Election.

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“Of course they would, and this is a perfect example of that. The people of Hartlepool rightly will feel cheated.”

Council leader Coun Shane Moore, one of those who had joined The Brexit Party, had said the move was fuelled after the Labour Party, including Mike Hill, had joined forces with others to block Brexit.

He said: “In a town like Hartlepool that overwhelming voted to leave the EU people will be sat watching the events unfolding in Westminster in disbelief.

“What we are seeing is the Labour Party and our MP Mike Hill joining forces with the Liberal Democrats and SNP and other remain parties and groups to block Brexit.

“We want to send a very clear message to the Labour Party and other politicians we won’t sit idly by and allow them to block Brexit.”