Hartlepool councillor accuses government of letting trans and non-binary people down as he quits Labour

Councillor Tom Feeney, who represents the Rossmere ward on Hartlepool Borough Council, will now continue as an independent.

He has served as deputy leader of the council for 2024-25 and had been the deputy leader of the Hartlepool Labour group.

In a social media statement, Cllr Feeney explained it is “not a decision I have taken lightly” and comes following “much soul-searching and reflection”.

He said: “I can no longer be part of what the current Labour Government has become and the direction that it is headed.

“Before the General Election last year, Labour were proud and vocal supporters of LGBTQ+ rights.

“Now, in government, they have let the trans and non-binary people of this country down.”

It comes after the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said Keir Starmer no longer believed trans women were women following the Supreme Court’s ruling that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.

Cllr Feeney added when it comes to the rights of LGBTQ+ people “there can be no compromises”.

He continued: “This culture war – a cruel and dehumanising distraction from the real problems facing our country – was manufactured by the right wing parties to stow division.

“And yet Labour are now not just complicit, they are active participants.”

More news: Hartlepool councillor defects from Tories to Reform UK

Cllr Feeney said locally he will continue to support the work of the council under Labour.

A Labour spokesperson said: "Cllr Feeney's decision to resign is disappointing. The Labour Party's priority in Hartlepool is delivering for local people and that will continue under this administration."