Hartlepool councillor who described himself as a 'true Brexiteer' joins Conservatives after backing Boris Johnson's EU policy

Hartlepool Conservative Association announced Coun Tom Cassidy, Hart ward representative, has officially joined the Conservative Party.

He joins the three existing Conservative councillors on the council, who are working in coalition with the Independent Union.

Coun Cassidy said he had intended to stand as a Conservative in the local elections this year, before they were postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

He said: “I intended to stand as a Local Conservative in the upcoming elections this May, however, because of Covid-19 and the challenges it has brought, the elections didn’t happen.

“I’ve made no secret I am a true Brexiteer and have supported Boris Johnson’s delivery of Brexit.

“What we can now see is that the Conservatives have shown they can deliver regardless of how tough things get – and will continue to do so for Hartlepool and the country.”

Coun Cassidy had previously returned to representing the Independent Union earlier this year after a stint with The Brexit Party.

Existing Conservative councillors on Hartlepool Borough Council said they were very happy for Coun Cassidy to be joining them.

Coun Mike Young, deputy council leader, said: “It is always an extremely positive sign when councillors from other parties and political groups see the Conservative Party as a real and viable option for the Borough.

“Coun Tom Cassidy is an exceptional campaigner and has been a solid Councillor for the Hart Ward.

“In his comments to me he expressed how he could ‘see that even today, the very real and direct action at a time of crisis how our leaders have navigated the challenges with purpose.'”

Coun Brenda Loynes said: “Tom was clear after the General Election in December 2019 that he could see that the country had preferred the positive message for Brexit and the country from Boris Johnson.

“We are pleased to now be able to work as a party of 4 within the coalition for the benefit of Hartlepool residents.”

Coun Cameron Stokell added after sitting next to Coun Cassidy in meetings he is looking forward to working even more closely with him in the future.

A statement from Hartlepool Independent Union said they had become aware Coun Cassidy intended to stand as a Local Conservative in the planned May 2020 local elections, and thanked him for his hard work.

It said: “With this information, we gave Coun Cassidy an ultimatum to either stay and represent the Independent Union in May 2021 or join the Conservatives if he still intended to stand as a Local Conservative.

“Coun Cassidy stated he had intended to stand as a Conservative and regardless of the delay in local elections, he felt it wouldn’t be right to remain in a party that he intended on leaving.

“While we are very saddened to see the departure of Coun Cassidy, we would like to thank him for his hard work and support and wish him well in the future.

“Meanwhile, the Hartlepool Independent Union will continue to work hard together for the good of our town.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.