Outgoing Deputy Town Mayor Cllr Danny Smith has announced he has quit the labour party and is now an independent town councillor.
Cllr 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 when delivering a speech on why councillor should vote for him to be the next town Mayor Cllr Smith said he had quit the labour party and was not an independent councillor.
Cllr Smooth said he has now realised he does not want to be involved in party politics. He said “I now sit as an independent town councillor on Penrith Town Council that I think suites me a lot better.”
Cllr Smith was active in the general election campaign support the campaign of Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours and has acted as election agent in recent by elections for Labour candidates.
Cllr Smith becomes the latest in a number of Labour councillors across Cumbria to quit the Labour party.