When Reform UK became the largest party on Hartlepool’s council it didn’t take long for the horse-trading to start. The local elections of 7 May saw all the 12 seats that were up for grabs fall to Reform UK. After the election, Reform had 15 seats, Labour had 14 and various Independents had seven.
Only a third of Hartlepool’s council seats are rotated at the annual election. So as a minority administration Reform had to form a coalition with the Independents or at least keep them happy. They have chosen the latter option.
Ceremonial Mayor
The major Independent to benefit is Councillor Sue Little of Seaton Ward. On 26 May she was formally invested as Ceremonial Mayor, complete with chain, red robe and mace. With the job comes the powerful post of Chair of Council which will involve her chairing full council meetings.
Cllr Little will be remembered as the alleged victim of repeated harassment by ward colleague and erstwhile Tory councillor Gordon Cranney – who has just lost his seat to Reform.
She commented then:
“I can honestly say I was petrified of this man and I made sure that if I was out someone was with me.”
Cranney failed to announce during the 2022 local election that he was up in court for the assault by battery of his wife, a charge which he had admitted.
Cranney did not even report the case to the Tory leadership until after the election. He was ejected from the Conservatives as a result but stayed on to serve his full term as an Independent, collecting the annual £8,330 councillor’s allowance.
Meanwhile Councillor Little continued to vote with the Tories – a party that had done little to stop Cranney’s harassment.
Chairs and vice-chairs
Independent Jim Lindridge is now Chair of the Children’s Services Committee. Aaron Roy, also Independent, is to Chair the Hartlepool Health and Wellbeing Board.
Labour Councillor Michael Jorgeson will chair the Audit and Governance Committee.
(The Chair must not be from the Majority Group)
He is now also Vice Chair of the Planning Committee.
The defectors from the Tories are also appointed to chair committees. Mike Young, a Tory until his defection to Reform in August last year, is now Deputy Leader. As a Tory he was Council Leader in the 2023-24 council session.
Young is also now Chair of the crucial Planning Committee.
Rob Darby who left the Tories for Reform in May last year will chair the Housing, Growth and Communities committee.
At the moment there is no financial gain with committee responsibilities. The previous Labour administration suspended the Special Responsibilities Allowance. However, an odd little inclusion in Reform’s local election manifesto was the restoration of that allowance, a pledge rejected by Labour.
North East Bylines is informed that Hartlepool’s concerns during doorstep canvassing were overwhelmingly about national issues. With councillors juggling power and committee positions, perhaps their voters might start asking exactly what local policies they voted for, and how independent the council’s Independents really are?
