DUP councillor resigns claiming he has ‘lost all confidence’ in party

Former deputy lord mayor Guy Spence issued a statement online saying he is resigning from his position at Belfast City council at the end of the month.

The 28-year-old claimed the party’s values and integrity has been “tossed aside”.

In a Twitter post, he said: “Yesterday I resigned from the DUP and at the end of this month I will retire from Belfast City Council.

“It has been a privilege to serve the people of my home District of Castle over the last nine years.

“Thanks to everyone who has supported me throughout my time in council.”

He went on to say: “Yesterday afternoon I submitted a letter to the Secretary of the DUP indicating my resignation from the party.

“For the last year or more I have been wrestling with my conscience watching party values and integrity be tossed aside, often by personal agendas for individual gain.

“I have lost all confidence in the party, in particular in its integrity, making my position in it untenable.

“I have also written to the Chief Executive of Belfast City Council informing her that I will be retiring from the Council at the end of this month, when I will be stepping back from politics to pursue a new career.

“Until then I will be an independent member of the council.

“My resignation and retirement has been accelerated by recent events involving a blatant attempt to cause me harm. Something I am not prepared to tolerate.

“It has been a privileged to serve the people of Castle District, the place I call home, for the last nine years.

“I want to thank every single person who supported me throughout my time in council and everyone I’ve had the pleasure to work with.”

In a statement, the DUP said: “The party thanks Mr Spence for his service as a councillor.

“We will be co-opting his replacement in due course.”