Leigh Park Councillor Dumps Tories Over Vaccine Mandate Fury
Leigh Park’s Tom Moutray has thrown in the towel on the Tory Party after clashing with the government’s compulsory NHS jab plan. The Battins ward councillor, elected just this May, quit over the dispute around forcing healthcare workers to get vaccinated or face the sack.
Fired Up Over Mandatory Jabs
The new rules, kicking in April 2022, demand all NHS staff take the Covid vaccine – or lose their jobs. But Moutray isn’t having it. The councillor branded the scheme a “rights infringement” and vowed to stand his ground as an independent.
“I was supportive of a voluntary vaccination programme which did not exclude people from doing their chosen profession… I cannot stand behind a mandatory vaccination programme which I believe infringes on people’s rights to control over their own bodies.” – Cllr Tom Moutray
He insisted he’ll keep working for residents, despite ditching the Conservatives.
Tories Demand Moutray Resigns After U-Turn
But his old mates aren’t impressed. Havant Borough Council leader Alex Rennie and Havant Conservative Association chairman Edward Rees publicly called for Moutray to quit.
Rennie said in an email leaked to Spotted portsmouth/" title="Portsmouth" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Portsmouth: “I do not expect councillors to be spokespeople for national party policy and I’m sure we all disagree with it at various points. But we are bound by shared Conservative values, which means more than one policy.
“Since Moutray was elected recently and backed the vaccination programme in his campaign, we have asked him to resign and reimburse the association for costs.”
Rees slammed Moutray’s stance as “shameful” and said he’d welcome a by-election.
“The residents of Battins elected a Conservative councillor and to deny them that just six months after the election over a national policy that will save lives is shameful… Cllr Moutray should do the right thing and resign.” – Edward Rees
Moutray has so far not said if he’ll pay back the association’s expenses.
Low Turnout Battins Vote Won By Narrow Margin
Moutray grabbed his seat in May by ousting Hampshire Independents’ Malc Carpenter. Battins saw a low turnout of just 18.25%, with Moutray bagging 430 votes, narrowly ahead of Labour’s Jason Horton on 221.
