Middlesbrough Council’s main opposition group has been struck by a third departure in the space of three months.
Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association (MICA) has seen its membership fall to nine, with Councillor Christine Cooper leaving the group. Her exit follows the double resignation of Kader ward Councillors Jim and Sharon Platt in May.
Cllr Cooper, who represents Trimdon ward, said that she wanted to go in a different direction and not spend so much time focussing on the past, highlighting one of her priorities as Middlesbrough town centre.
Responding, a statement from the MICA group wished Cllr Cooper well for the future, while Cllr Ian Morrish (a member of the MICA group) said that councillors in their grouping are encouraged to challenge at full council and committee meetings.
Cllr Cooper is no longer aligned with the MICA group, according to the council’s website, and is sitting as an independent. When asked if it was her decision to leave the MICA group, she said: “Definitely”.
When Cllr Cooper was asked for the reasons for her departure, she said: “I did really want [Cllrs] Jim and Sharon [Platt] to take over as leader and deputy as I thought they had some great ideas and I really wanted to go in that direction. Yeah so I think that was really one of the main things.” When the pair of Kader councillors departed the MICA group in May, they both described their reasoning for leaving simply as a “difference of opinion”, not wishing to give any further comment.
Cllr Cooper added: “I just felt I wanted to go in a different direction, I didn’t really want to put a focus on the past, I really wanted to focus on the future… I was really more interested in getting Middlesbrough back on the map and making Middlesbrough a nice place to come and I wanted to focus on future.”
Image: middlesbrough Council
The Trimdon ward councillor was asked if she thought the current leadership was not focussed correctly on such ambitions, to which she said: “I just think that sometimes they were bringing up things from the past that I wasn’t really privy to because I’m just a newly elected councillor. And I really wanted a more forward looking representation of the group.
“So I wanted to look at sort of Middlesbrough town centre and I didn’t really want to focus on things like – I think they were bringing up things to do with our declarations about section two and section four. I mean really, come on, we really need to focus on much better things and we need to focus on Middlesbrough itself and make this place a nicer place to come and deal with those issues.”
Cllr Cooper concluded, saying: “And I think you only get a certain amount of time in council, and I think we need to say things that we are passionate about.”
The MICA group responded to Cllr Cooper’s comments, saying: “On behalf of the MICA group we would like to take the opportunity to wish Cllr Cooper well for whichever path she takes, as either an independent councillor or as part of another group.”
Councillor Ian Morrish (who is deputy leader of the MICA group) responded with a personal statement, saying: “As with Cllr Cooper I was also a newly elected member and joined the MICA group where I have always felt welcome and any ideas listened to. I vote as I feel gives the best benefit to my residents and the Borough as a whole, as do all MICA members. MICA members are encouraged to challenge at full council and committee meetings, some speak up and others don’t.”
Following her departure, the council now has 24 Labour members (and elected Mayor Chris Cooke who votes in council matters), nine MICA members, five councillors who sit as independents, four Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats and two Marton East Independents.
