A FORMER Labour councillor who resigned in disgust at the party leadership’s behaviour has won a resounding by-election standing as an independent socialist.

Tony Randerson, a former full-time official of union Unite, put his victory in the Yorkshire coastal town of Scarborough down in part to the electorate’s dislike of “one-party politics” in which voters saw little difference between Labour and Conservative policies.

He was re-elected to North Yorkshire Council, with the Labour candidate in third place after the Liberal Democrats.

Asked why he left the Labour Party, Cllr Randerson told the Morning Star: “In one word — Starmer.

“For months I had been unhappy. When I became a Labour councillor I was uneasy.

“When Starmer was elected leader of the Labour Party he reached out to socialists in the party with 10 socialist pledges such as renationalisation of public services and abolition of student tuition fees.

“He has reneged on every one of them. So it was a matter of principle.”

He said that on the doorstep in his by-election campaign he found voters equally disillusioned.

“People are sick of one-party politics. Tories and Labour — there is no difference. People see them as one,” he said.

“It sends a message, albeit a small message.”

North Yorkshire Council is a new combined authority created to take over the responsibilities of district councils and North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Randerson polled 499 votes (47 per cent) in the by-election for the Eastfield division of Scarborough, followed by the Liberal Democrats on 281, Labour on 169, Conservatives on 69, Independent 39 and Green 19.