FIVE more Stroud District Councillors have left the Labour Party due to “interference from the national party”. 

Labour has gone from leading the local authority and having 15 councillors after last year’s elections to having just six. 

This comes just three months after former Stroud District Council leader Doina Cornell left the party. 

The former SDC leader, plus Cllrs Trevor Hall, Robin Layfield and Colin Fryer all left the party in June, forming a new group on the council, Community Independents. 

Now, five more including current Stroud District Council deputy leader Natalie Bennett plus councillors Mattie Ross, Paula Baker, Helen Fenton and Chris Brine have resigned their party membership.

They released a joint statement about this. 

"It is with immense sadness that we have taken the decision to leave the Labour Party," read the statement.

"We have thought long and hard before making this decision and we would like to thank our friends and colleagues in the local Labour Party for the support they have shown us during this difficult time.

"We want to be able to hold the Conservatives to account and deliver the Council Plan, which is focused on benefiting our local communities and businesses, the local economy and the environment.

"Achieving the plan relies on maintaining the Cooperative Alliance that has successfully run SDC since 2012 and we are committed to this continuing.

"Sadly we feel that the national Labour Party has made this impossible for us to do while we remain members, therefore we have no alternative but to resign our party membership.

"The five of us have now formed a new “Independent Left” group of councillors on SDC and will remain in the administration.

"At the heart of our politics are values of equality and social justice and the wellbeing of our communities.

"We will continue to work with our alliance partners and remain focused on delivering positive change.

"We are committed to working for the residents of our wards and to ensuring support will be available locally for those that need it most during this cost of living crisis."

Tory group leader Stephen Davies (C, Severn) said he was left speechless by the latest development.

He said: “All of this is just playing around with committee numbers, it doesn’t address the council plan’s challenges and it isn’t helpful for the people of Stroud.”

The council is now made up of 19 Conservatives, 13 Greens, six Labour councillors, five Independent Left councillors, four Community Independents, three Liberal Democrats and a Conservative without a group.

The Labour Party has been approached for comment.