The deputy mayor of Basingstoke has announced that he will quit the council following a long-standing row with council chiefs.
Councillor Phil Heath, who represents Hatch Warren and Beggarwood, will not stand for re-election in May ending 18 years of service.
The sole member of Basingstoke’s First Community Party has vowed to fight for residents from the “outside”.
By standing down he will forfeit the chance of becoming mayor for 2011/12, something he has fought for over the last two years.
He said: “I did not take the decision lightly, I got a lot of support from people asking me to go forward.
“I have a broken relationship with councillors and senior officers in the borough council so I could not see the point in carrying on and so I quit for the outside.”
Councillor Heath was expelled from the Conservative party in 2008. He was due to be mayor last year, but had four outstanding complaints over alleged conduct, which the conservative group argued should prevent him taking the post.
He was blocked when 30 councillors – all conservatives – voted against Cllr Heath becoming mayor. Three abstained and 25 voted for him, all Liberal Democrats, Labour and independents.
The post of mayor was handed to Keith Chapman, and Cllr Heath was installed as deputy.
It is convention that the post of mayor is handed to the longest-serving borough councillor. He was rubber stamped for the post last year but he claims the Conservatives have been looking for ways to oust him.
The mayor’s office is non-political role, and leader of the council, Andrew Finney insisted there was no party agenda against him.
He said: “I am sorry he feels that things have not gone as smoothly as he would have liked. At the end of the day Councillor Heath has been a very hard working councillor, very vociferous in supporting his residents.
“I regret he is leaving on these terms, there has not been a conspiracy against him. With the mayor vote its down to the individual and is not a party political issue.”
But councillor Heath insists he will not remain silent.
He said: “I can do the same thing as a councillor but without all the restrictions. I know enough about procedure and what people want to carry on.
“I hope people do not feel let down by my actions and I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the years.”
