A Reform UK councillor who attempted to resign from her role due to insufficient training has reversed her decision after sending her resignation letter to the wrong council.
Resignation letter sent to wrong council
Christine Duffy was elected to Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council at the local elections in May, part of a significant surge in support for her party. On August 4, she submitted a letter of resignation to Kidsgrove Town Council.
According to BBC News, the letter stated she was stepping down because she had received 'very little or no training for this role'. The notice was subsequently passed to the relevant official at Newcastle-Under-Lyme Council, but by then Duffy had decided to withdraw it.
Councillor's response
Duffy previously sat on Kidsgrove Town Council but left in October 2024 and has not been a member since. In a post on the Reform UK Newcastle-Under-Lyme Facebook page, she said she was 'appalled' that her letter had 'somehow been obtained by the Kidsgrove Independents' and argued it was 'now being exploited for party political purposes'.
She added: 'My position could not be clearer. I remain a Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Councillor for the Town ward and will continue carrying out the role I was elected to do. I hope this brings an end to the speculation and political games surrounding this matter.'
Official confirmation
Gordon Mole, the chief executive of Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council, told the BBC that Duffy would continue to sit on the council after withdrawing the notice. He said: 'If a councillor wishes to resign then they must follow a specific process as set out in the Local Government Act 1972. In this instance a letter was hand-delivered to an incorrect address at Kidsgrove Town Council. By the time it was received by me, as the proper officer, I had been notified that the content of the letter had been withdrawn and the councillor concerned continues to serve as a borough councillor.'
