York councillor resigns from Green Party over ‘miserable’ treatment
Dave Taylor has resigned from the Green Party, after he was left to ‘take a kicking’ from his critics.
Cllr Taylor was suspended by the party after his comments about the late footballer Jack Charlton sparked widespread anger.
Now he has left the party. It means the Lib Dem-Green coalition on City of York Council is permanently down to a majority of just one – with 24 members out of the 47-strong council.
In his resignation letter sent out to all York Green Party members, and seen by YorkMix, Cllr Taylor expressed his thanks to those in the party who had supported him.
But he was clear about why he felt unable to stay in the party he joined 13 years ago, writing:
I have decided to leave the Green Party after its miserable and disappointing decision to suspend me over the Charlton comment.
Might I suggest that the next time you see a friend being given a kicking by a bunch of football hooligans that you give them your aid rather than cravenly join in with the thugs giving them a kicking.
Huge backlash
The chain of events that ended in Cllr Taylor’s decision began in July.
After the death of Leeds United legend Jack Charlton, the former Lord Mayor of York wrote on Facebook that he was “sick of the adulation of this animal abuser”.
His comments prompted a huge backlash, and he soon issued an apology.
Cllr Taylor’s resignation letter
Before I resign from the Green Party I would like to pay tribute to Andy D’Agorne who has been my friend and mentor as a Councillor in Fishergate. I hope he will, at least, remain my friend as we continue to serve the residents of Fishergate.
However, I have decided to leave the Green Party after its miserable and disappointing decision to suspend me over the Charlton comment. Might I suggest that the next time you see a friend being given a kicking by a bunch of football hooligans that you give them your aid rather than cravenly join in with the thugs giving them a kicking.
But political parties are not our friends… any more than are our employers. A lesson has been learned.
I would like to thank the members who contacted me with messages of support, and those critical of the party’s decision to suspend me. That meant a lot to me, but there are some other relationships within York Green Party which are now irretrievably broken and so I must tender my resignation. I bid the party farewell and offer you all my best wishes in pursuing environmental and social justice.
Yours sincerely,
Dave Taylor
Councillor for Fishergate
A month later he was suspended from the Green Party because he had “brought the party in to disrepute”.
That meant he had to sit as an independent for Fishergate ward, which he has represented for 13 years.
Cllr Taylor told YorkMix that he expected to be able to rejoin the Greens but had decided he couldn’t stay in the party.
“The party took a decision, which I find unsupportive,” he said. “Having mulled that over for a while I’ve decided I don’t want to return to the party.”
He said he would serve Fishergate until the next council elections, but had no intention of standing again.