Scarborough councillor becomes first representative for newly registered Social Justice Party

The Social Justice Party has officially gained its first seat on North Yorkshire Council after registering with the electoral commission.

Coun Tony Randerson, who represents the Eastfield division in Scarborough, has become the Social Justice Party’s first representative on the council after quitting the Labour Party last year.

The councillor resigned from North Yorkshire Council and Labour last April, triggering a by-election where he went on to beat Labour’s candidate by standing as an independent.

Coun Randerson said he resigned from the Labour Party over leader, Sir Keir Starmer’s “abandonment of traditional working-class supporters and authoritarian leadership style”.

Following its successful registration with the electoral commission, the Eastfield representative has become an official councillor for the Social Justice Party.

The SJP has said it also intends to stand candidates on the coast at the next general election.

Coun Randerson said: “I have always been a proud socialist, intent on looking after the neediest in our society.

“So, when I stood for re-election last year I stood as a socialist and made this very clear in my leaflets and on the doorstep.”

He added: “Due to legalities, I was regarded as an ‘unaffiliated independent’ councillor on North Yorkshire Council but have never been comfortable with that description.

“I am delighted that the Social Justice Party is now a registered political party and I am officially a Social Justice Party councillor.”

The Social Justice Party was launched last summer at a party conference held in Whitby andwas officially registered as a political party at the beginning of February.

The party was set up by a group of “ex-Labour members who had resigned in protest at what it viewed as the party’s increasingly right-wing agenda”.

The SJP has said that it plans to stand candidates along the Yorkshire coast at the next general election to challenge “both Labour and the Conservatives on their commitment to growth-based, trickle-down economics and policy agendas which would see the continued suffering of working-class people after 14 years of austerity”.