One of Britain’s youngest councillors has quit the Labour Party after she was branded racist for calling for CCTV to be installed into minicabs.
Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, 19, alleged that she had been subjected to bullying as she announced her resignation from Peterborough City Council’s Labour group.
Blakemore-Creedon was engulfed in a row with her ex-Labour colleagues after she raised concerns about Peterborough’s council-licensed minicabs, many of which are operated by Asian men.
She said she felt “deeply disturbed” after being accused of “targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors”.
Daisy Blakemore-Creedon alongside Rachel Reeves
The 19-year-old denied the accusations and stressed her concerns had nothing to do with ethnicity.
She added: “I'm so disappointed with all this because my morals have always been Labour. Labour is in my blood.
“My grandfather was a major supporter. But my entire family have been left really disappointed as well.
“When I argued for more safety measures in minicabs it led to a lot of ugly comments by people in the Labour group.
“I got messages from fellow Labour councillors accusing me of racism because lots of the cab drivers are Asian.
A stock image of a taxi rank
GETTY
“But I wasn't targeting Asian drivers. I was talking about safeguarding for everyone, passengers and drivers.”
Blakemore-Creedon, who joined Labour aged just 14, won election to Peterborough City Council just a week before her A Level exams last year.
She won the ward of Fletton and Woodston after receiving 940 votes, beating Conservative candidate Andy Coles by almost 300 votes.
Announcing her resignation on Monday, the 19-year-old said: “I feel as though I have sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group after raising serious concerns - concerns which, in my view, were not treated with the seriousness they deserved.
“Following this, I was deeply disturbed to find myself accused of racism, with suggestions that I and my family were 'targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors'.
Daisy Blakemore-Creedon campaigning in the 2024 General Election
“These accusations are completely unfounded and deeply hurtful. I have also raised a formal complaint regarding these matters, which has now been delayed twice, reportedly due to concerns about the political impact on the party, rather than a focus on justice or resolution.”
Responding to Blakemore-Creedon’s resignation, Peterborough City Council’s Labour leader Dennis Jones said he was “disappointed”.
He told the BBC: “Nevertheless, the Peterborough City Council Labour Group will continue to work hard to deliver for local residents as we always have.”
A Labour spokesman also said: “All complaints are assessed thoroughly in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures.”
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