Gary Wareing, the independent councillor for Orchard Park, has endorsed the Green Party’s candidate for the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral election, Kerry Harrison, ahead of May’s election.
Gary resigned his Labour Party membership in June 2024 in protest at the party’s general election policy on the two-child benefit cap and has sat as an independent ever since. He now leads the 3 strong Independent Group on Hull City Council.
Gary said in his announcement:
“I’m delighted to be endorsing Kerry Harrison of the Green Party to become the first Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. There are important reasons why I’ve made that decision.
“We’re now looking at a further period of austerity when communities in Hull are barely recovering from the original round of cuts in the Cameron-Clegg years.
“This is aside from ongoing welfare cuts such as the child benefit cap, the demonising of migrants and the rowing back on social and climate justice policies. The Green Party’s policy of asking the very wealthy to pay more in tax has to be a better way forward than more austerity.
“It’s clear that people in Hull are desperate for a fresh start in the way we do our politics, and I firmly believe Kerry can provide that opportunity.”
Gary Wareing is the leader of the 3 member Independent group on Hull City Council which is the Council’s third largest group. (State of the parties: Lib Dems 29, Labour 25 and Green/Independents 3)