YET another long-serving Wirral councillor has quit Labour after blaming a “hard-left” takeover – becoming the latest to join the borough’s growing Independent Group.

Cllr Bill Davies will sit with the new four member-strong group, along with his two fellow Rock Ferry Cllrs Moira McLaughlin and Chris Meaden.

He has been an elected councillor since 1986, and said the resignation was due to the recent “hard-left” takeover cited by a host of Wirral politicians in recent times.

That list includes council leader Phil Davies, who said he would stand for re-election this May, to deputy Labour leader Cllr Bernie Mooney, who was deselected last month, to Birkenhead MP Frank Field, who resigned the Labour whip in August.

Cllr Davies, who has been a Labour member for 50 years, will sit alongside Cllrs McLaughlin and Meaden, as well as Pensby and Thingwall Cllr Mike Sullivan.

On Monday, he said it came after he was asked to be an election agent to run against his ward colleague Cllr Meaden.

He will sit with the group for the remainder of his term in office, and said: “I was deeply saddened when my colleagues Moira and Chris left the Labour Party.

“I’d worked closely with them both for almost 30 years and we were always a good team.

“So when I was recently approached by the local Labour Party and asked to be the election agent and to campaign against my friend Chris, this was a step too far and was something I knew I just couldn’t do.

“This was a very difficult decision for me to make but like many others I feel that this isn’t the Labour Party I joined over 50 years ago and I can’t continue to support something I no longer believe in.”

Cllr McLaughlin, the leader of the Independent group, said she was “really pleased” Cllr Davies had joined the group.

She added: “We hope that our approach to politics is different and is what Wirral needs.

“No political party has the right to take votes for granted. We believe a local Councillor is just that, elected to represent the community, listen to voters and be the voice of Wirral residents in the Council Chamber.

“Voting on the issues and not just along the same old party lines.”

The Local Campaign Forum was contacted for comment.