A Cheshire East councillor has quit the Independent Group after being suspended for re-joining the Conservative Party so she could vote in the Tory leadership contest.
It’s the second time Cllr Sarah Pochin has been left in the political wilderness – but today she confirmed she is happy to be “unaligned” as a councillor for Bunbury.
Two years ago she was booted out of the Conservative Group on Cheshire East Council after being voted in as mayor by the ruling Labour/Independent administration, who had rejected Conservative mayor-elect Steve Edgar.
In an email sent to Independent Group members following her suspension, Cllr Pochin said: “I took up membership of the Tory Party once again to be able to vote in the leadership election – a forgivable offence, I would argue, as there weren’t enough sensible folk allowed to vote in that crucial election as it was.”
She says she accepts she has broken the Independent Group’s rules and “take my fate graciously”.
In the email, which has been leaked to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Bunbury councillor adds she understands the Independent Group held an emergency meeting to discuss the matter.
“I have to say I would not have classed my membership of the Tory Party as an emergency,” she said.
And she added: “I could have offered to resign my membership of the Tory Party as I had achieved my aim of voting in the Tory Party leadership contest, but I was not given that opportunity.”
A statement released by the Independent Group confirmed they had suspended Cllr Pochin because she re-joined the national Conservative Party.
Group leader Cllr Craig Browne (Alderley Edge) said: “It is with deep regret that the Independent Group has been placed in a position where, for the first time, we have had to suspend a member of our group.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly; however, it is necessary to protect the integrity of the Independent Group.”
Deputy group leader James Nicholas (Bollington) said: “It is an inviolable principle that an Independent Group member cannot be a member of a national political party. It is incompatible with our ethos and this is clearly stated in our group standing orders.”
She has also been removed as vice chair of the environment and communities committee and southern planning committee.
But Cllr Pochin told Nantwich News today: “I am more than happy to become unaligned again. I had to join the Independents two years ago because the rules at the time meant an unaligned councillor could not sit on committees.
“Thankfully that rule has been changed. This issue makes no difference to members of the public and I will continue to serve the people of Bunbury as I have done.”
This seems to show considerable lack of thought on the part of Cllr Pochin. She says it was something done in an emergency, but surely it would only take a few minutes to resign from the independent group first instead of them having to find out. Either poor judgement or lack of thought.