A Stockport councillor suspended by Labour amid the 'Trigger Me Timbers' WhatsApp group scandal has left the party.

Cllr David Sedgwick now represents the Heatons North ward as an independent.

The 37-year-old told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he made the decision to leave the party after he learned he would be suspended and that he plans to stand down as a councillor when his current term ends in 2027.

"It's very amicable, I still have close working relationships with most people in the [Stockport] Labour group, and I'm still a party supporter, it's more of an administrative thing than anything else," Cllr Sedgwick said.

"Had it not happened [the WhatsApp group story] of course there's no reason why I wouldn't be a member of the Labour party. I just reached the end of my tether with it really, and thought it was best for everyone. There's no ill feeling or malice, it was just my decision."

Cllr Sedgwick said he will take the Labour whip 'within reason' during votes at Stockport council meetings, because he was elected under the party's banner.

He added: "It's a difficult decision because I've been a member of the party since I was 15… but in a sense it's liberating as well, because you don't have to do all the party stuff that it expects from you."

Stockport colleague Cllr Holly McCormack was also suspended by Labour as part of its investigation into the WhatsApp group, along with nine councillors from Tameside.

Cllr McCormack remains an independent in the council chamber.

Cllr David Meller, the leader of Stockport Labour group, said: "We respect Cllr Sedgwick's decision and would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his service to the Labour party.

"We look forward to working collaboratively with him for the remainder of his term."

Stockport council is run by a Lib Dem minority administration, holding 30 council seats to Labour's 21.

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