Ex-Labour councillor reveals why she left her political party of 50 years

Frustration, a ‘lack of democracy’ and being ‘too left-wing’ are why one of Greater Manchester’s longest serving female politicians has quit the Labour Party.

Coun Ann Holland made the shock decision to resign from the Labour Party during the town hall meeting in Tameside last night. The Droylsden West ward representative has been a stalwart red for half a century and has represented Labour on Tameside council since 1989.

Tuesday, October 7 marked the date that relationship with the red rosettes ended in dramatic fashion.

Just as the authority’s leader Eleanor Wills was about to address the chamber in Dukinfield Town Hall, Coun Holland declared her news. This was met with cheers and claps by opposition councillors in Jubilee Hall.

The now independent councillor told the chamber: “I am making it known that I am no longer a member of the Labour group. I am upset about this.

“I am a socialist and I am sick and tired of seeing what is going on.”

Coun Holland has represented the Droylsden West ward for 36 years and will continue to do so as an independent councillor until her term comes to an end in May 2026. 

Revealing why she made the decision to leave Labour yesterday, Coun Holland told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I have given 50 years of my life to the Labour Party.

“I am the longest serving female councillor in Tameside and possibly in Greater Manchester. In the Labour group democracy seems to have gone out of the door. 

“I am disappointed by the Prime Minister and the Labour Party at large currently. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting shafted. 

“Massive profits are being made in private companies. People who are the poorest are suffering.

“It hurts me to leave the Labour Party because I have given it 50 years of my life, but I cannot carry on like this. I will stay on as an independent and work for Droylsden.

“I am frustrated by this and I have been for a long time. There is lots of investment for other towns like Ashton, Stalybridge, Hyde and Denton, but we get missed off in Droylsden.

“Yes, Labour deselected me for the next elections in May. I’m too left-wing for them.

“Previously we had a group meeting and we voted for our leader. The regional Labour group came in and basically selected the cabinet.

“I’m frustrated as it’s just not a democracy at the moment.”

Labour’s National Executive Committee brought in a campaign improvement board in Tameside in October 2024. The board interviewed candidates to replace ex-leader Coun Ged Cooney rather than the traditional method of the local Labour group voting in their own.

Coun Eleanor Wills was appointed council leader shortly after alongside a number of her original cabinet members. This process was regarded as ‘undemocratic’ by Conservative councillors at the time and Coun Holland now.

A Labour spokesperson said: “We thank Ann for her many years of service. It is disappointing that she has stood down as a Labour councillor.”

Coun Holland’s resignation from the Labour party brings the number of independent councillors in Tameside to nine.