A leftwing regional mayor who has been blocked from being Labour’s representative to contest the north-east mayoralty has announced that he is resigning from the party to try to run as an independent candidate.
The party has become embroiled in a factionalism row since Jamie Driscoll, the serving mayor of the North of Tyne, was excluded from the race in a move linked to an onstage appearance with Ken Loach, the film director and expelled Labour member.
