Hackney Labour councillor resigns

A Hackney Labour councillor has resigned with just weeks to go before the May elections.

Angus Mulready-Jones who represented Dalston ward has landed a new job as a prison inspector in the civil service, which does not allow him to hold an elected political role.

There will be no by-election because his resignation comes less than six months before the elections on May 22.

Mr Mulready-Jones said: “I checked with the council as I was keen not to inflict a by-election on the poor people who would have to go out and campaign.

“While I regret residents in Dalston won’t have three councillors for several weeks, it’s definitely not a comment on any difficulties with the Labour group or my role at the council.”

He added: “I’ve throughly enjoyed representing Dalston ward but in terms of my resignation I was standing down in May, the ward boundaries are changing significantly, so my ward would no longer exist in its current form.”

In his new role Mr Mulready-Jones will be inspecting prisons up and down the country.

“Ensuring prisons are safe places where people are held securely and are given purposeful acts to enable them to resettle into communities in a successful way is a fascinating job and the philosophy behind it too,” he said.