Sir Keir Starmer has been rocked by a local revolt after 20 councillors quit Labour in protest about the Prime Minister’s leadership.
The group of councillors, who sit on Broxtowe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire, accused Starmer of “abandoning traditional Labour values”.
Aggrieved councillors were inspired to cut ties with Starmer’s Labour following a number of controversial policy decisions, including axing Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million pensioners.
Starmer was also blasted for maintaining the two child benefit cap, increasing bus fares and "betraying" Waspi women.
'Nothing short of a dictatorship!' Starmer rocked by local revolt as councillors quit after PM 'abandons Labour values'The issue of Israel's war with Hamas was also mentioned, with Broxtowe Independents claiming that the Prime Minister had a "tepid response to the genocide in Gaza".
Labour suffered from other local rebellions as tensions in the Middle East ramped up ahead of the 2024 General Election.
Councillors in Burnley, Kirklees and Pendle were among those to quit Labour in the months following Hamas' October 7 attack.
Broxtowe Council leader Milan Radulovic, who had been a Labour Party member for more than four decades, joined the latest rebellion in Nottinghamshire.
Radulovic said he was "deeply saddened" to be quitting Labour but had been placed in an "impossible position".
"I cannot support and will not support another centrist government intent on destroying local democracy and dictating national policy from a high pedestal," he said.
Taking aim at Starmer’s plans to reorganise local authorities, Radulovic added: “I believe the concentration of power in the hands of fewer people and the abolition of local democracy through the current proposals of super councils is nothing short of a dictatorship, where local elected members, local people, local residents will have no say over the type and level of service provided in their area.”
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A copy of Broxtowe Independents statement
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Radulovic also slammed the "utterly disgraceful" decision to block 10 councillors from standing in the 2025 Nottinghamshire Local Election, alleging the group were barred after questioning Starmer's decision to cut Winter Fuel Payments.
However, GB News understands that Labour opened its candidacy application via a normal process and enacted a robust due diligence process ahead of official selection.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner also championed plans to restructure local authorities.
Speaking in West Yorkshire last month, Rayner said: "Devolution will no longer be agreed by the whim of a Minister in Whitehall. It will now be default in our constitution.
"We’re moving away from an ad hoc system, and towards a simpler and more ambitious framework for devolution."
The Broxtowe Independents also claimed that 100 local grassroots members had left the Labour Party.
However, the group also had an eye on the upcoming Local Elections on May 1.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner
PA"We will be standing our candidates in the May 2025 Local Elections and will campaign for every vote, in every street, in every town," the group warned.
Responding to the Broxtowe revolt, the local rump of six Labour councillors said: "It is incredibly disappointing that some Broxtowe councillors have decided to leave the Labour Party and sit as independents when they were elected on a Labour ticket just over 18 months ago.
"These defections have no effect on the commitment of the remaining Labour councillors in serving our residents.
"We, together with our Labour colleagues including MPs Juliet Campbell and Alex Norris, will continue to work to make Broxtowe a healthier, greener, safer and more prosperous place for everyone as change begins under this Labour Government."
Today's decision also infuriated the five-strong Broxtowe Independent Group.
Broxtowe Independent Group leader Richard MacRae said: "The decision by this newly formed group of former Labour Party members to label themselves 'Broxtowe Independents' is not only misleading but undermines the integrity and clarity of political representation in our area.
"It appears to be an attempt to capitalise on our well-established reputation, creating ambiguity among voters who may struggle to distinguish between our organisation and this new, unrelated entity."
Broxtowe Independents announce quitting Labour
BBC
In a warning to the new grouping of ex-Labour councillors, MacRae added: "We are currently working with the Electoral Commission to secure the official registration of our name, Broxtowe Independent Group, to protect it from misuse and to ensure that our identity remains distinct.
"Our members are united in their frustration and disappointment that such actions have been taken without consideration for the potential impact on residents and the broader political landscape of Broxtowe."
The latest rebellion also comes as a blow to Starmer's plans to regain support lost since the 2024 General Election.
A recent MRP poll by More in Common suggested Starmer would now likely lose swathes of seats, reducing Labour from 411 MPs to just 228.
Kemi Badenoch would likely oversee a Tory revival, taking the Conservative rump from 121 to 222.
However, Nigel Farage emerges as a main beneficiary of Starmer's slump, with Reform UK likely boosting its Commons contingent from just five MPs to 72.
Broxtowe would likely remain a Labour seat, albeit with Juliet Campbell's 17.6 per cent majority slashed to just 6.2 per cent.
Reform UK would also enter the race in the Nottinghamshire bellwether seat, trailing Labour by around seven per cent.
