Another Councillor Quits Town Council as Former Deputy Mayor of Penrith Quits

Penrith's former Deputy Mayor and Town Councillor who Quits Labour in May has now resigned as a town councillor.

Former town councillor Danny Smith who served as councillor for Penrith South ward on the town council following the May 2023 elections announced in May that he  had quit the labour party and would sit on the town council as an independent town councillor.

Mr Smith was elected in 2023 to Penrith Town Council as a Labour Councillor for Penrith South Ward with 159 votes beating the incumbent in the May 4 2024 local elections long serving Independent councillor Margaret Clark by just 5 votes.

At the annual town council meeting in May Mr Smith asked town councillors to vote for him to be the next town Mayor but was not successful but was elected chair of the council’s communities committee.

Former Councillor Smith becomes the latest in a number of councillors to quit the Town Council since the May 2023 local elections.

A notice of vacancy has been posted by the town clerk with a period of 14 day that allows local registered voters in the Penrith South ward to call for a by election to fill the vacancy created. If a by election is called it will be held in October and cost the Penrith tax payers in the region of £10,000 to hold that would have to be paid for in full by Penrith Town Council from its annual budget via the council tax precept.

If a election is not called by the electors in the ward the town council can opt to fill the vacant seat by co-option.