One of the Labour Councillors for the Westfield Ward has quit Labour. Lynn Jeffries quotes many familiar criticisms of the current Alexander led regime in her resignation statement.

Clearly issues such as the scrapping of support for 184 elderly people in the City, the closure of the Beckfield Lane recycling centre, the removal of litter bins and the attempt to sell off the Union Terrace car park have prompted major disputes in the Labour Council group.

It has emerged that Labour Councillors are told how to vote on important issues and are prevented from developing alternative strategies.

Labour now has 25 Councillors in York – a majority of only three over combined opposition groups. Two further defections would mean that the Council would become “balanced” with decisions then being more likely to be made on a consensus basis.