Former Stroud MP David Drew is resigning as a county, district and town councillor with immediate effect.
Mr Drew,72, who lives in Stonehouse and represents Stroud Central at Shire Hall, served in Westminster from 1997 to 2010. The former Forest Green Rovers chairman and ex-teacher made a sensational return to represent the Stroud constituency again when he beat Neil Carmichael in 2017 – only to lose the Stroud seat two years later to Conservative Siobhan Baillie.
In a statement, the former Labour and Co-operative MP said: “This is as a result of my deep disappointment and frustration that Gloucestershire will be again in the slow lane when it comes to Local Government Reorganisation. As someone who has long supported the idea that unitary authorities with strong parish and town councils must be the way forward, I am not prepared to watch as we waste two further years before the inevitable is put in place. I therefore am not prepared to be part of this dilatory process.
“Unfortunately my relationship with the regional office of the Labour Party is completely fractured. Whilst I retain the support, trust and loyalty of local members, and especially our MP Dr Simon Opher and I wish Labour candidates every success in the forthcoming elections I cannot pretend that at regional level is anything other than broken.
“I have therefore decided to make a clean break after 40 years of representation. I will maintain my involvement with many of the voluntary organisations I have been committed to for a long time but sadly that will not include local government. I simply would not want to hobble on for a few more years when my heart isn’t in it.”
Labour also released a statement: “On behalf of Stroud Labour, we would like to thank David Drew for his service to the local area and wish him well on his next endeavours.”
