Daisy Blakemore, Labour's youngest councillor, has resigned from the Labour Group on Peterborough City Council citing concerns about bullying and marginalisation.
Daisy Blakemore posted to X:
Effective today, I am resigning from the Labour Group on Peterborough City Council.
I feel as though I have sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group after raising serious concerns—concerns which, in my view, were not treated with the seriousness they deserved.
Following this, I was deeply disturbed to find myself accused of racism, with suggestions that I and my family were “targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors.” These accusations are completely unfounded and deeply hurtful. I have also raised a formal complaint regarding these matters, which has now been delayed twice, reportedly due to concerns about the political impact on the party, rather than a focus on justice or resolution.
In addition, I reported an antisemitic incident involving a prominent Labour Party supporter in Peterborough, which, to date, remains unaddressed.
These experiences have left me with no confidence that I can continue to serve residents as a member of the Labour Group, given the hostile environment I have faced simply for speaking out.
Moving forward, I will continue to represent my residents as an independent councillor. Without the constraints of the party whip, I will be free to vote solely in the best interests of my community, without pressure to conform to internal party agendas.
I remain fully committed to serving the people of my ward. However, if residents feel that I can no longer effectively represent them in this capacity, I will respect that view.
https://twitter.com/DaisyBlakemore/status/1919345147172581692
