‘Nothing short of a dictatorship!’ Starmer rocked by local revolt as councillors quit after PM ‘abandons Labour values’

Sir Keir Starmer has been rocked by a local revolt after 20 councillors quit Labour in protest about the Prime Minister’s leadership.

The group of councillors, who sit on Broxtowe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire, accused Starmer of “abandoning traditional Labour values”.

Aggrieved councillors were inspired to cut ties with Starmer’s Labour following a number of controversial policy decisions, including axing Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million pensioners.

Starmer was also blasted for maintaining the two child benefit cap, increasing bus fares and “betraying” Waspi women.

The issue of Israel’s war with Hamas was also mentioned, with Broxtowe Independents claiming the Prime Minister had a “tepid response to the genocide in Gaza”.

Council leader Milan Radulovic, who had been a Labour Party member for more than four decades, joined the Nottinghamshire rebellion.

Radulovic said he was “deeply saddened” to be quitting Labour but had been placed in an “impossible position”.

“I cannot support and will not support another centrist government intent on destroying local democracy and dictating national policy from a high pedestal,” he said.

Taking aim at Starmer’s plans to reorganise local authorities, Radulovic added: “I believe the concentration of power in the hands of fewer people and the abolition of local democracy through the current proposals of super councils is nothing short of a dictatorship, where local elected members, local people, local residents will have no say over the type and level of service provided in their area.”

Radulovic also slammed the “utterly disgraceful” decision to block 10 councillors from standing in the 2025 Nottinghamshire Local Election over questioning Starmer’s decision on Winter Fuel Payments.

The group, now known as Broxtowe Independents, also claimed that 100 local grassroots members had left the Labour Party.

However, the group also had an eye on the upcoming Local Elections on May 1.

“We will be standing our candidates in the May 2025 Local Elections and will campaign for every vote, in every street, in every town,” the group warned.