SUPPORT IS growing for a veteran Labour Cumbria county councillor who has been kicked out of his party in what critics claim is a “witch-hunt”.

Alan McGuckin, 68, a lifelong trade unionist and supporter of ousted former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, has branded his treatment by party officials as “disgraceful.” He says he is the victim of a party “purge” of left-wing members.

Mr McGuckin, who represents Carlisle's Castle ward on the County Council, is supported by senior members of his local Penrith and the Border constituency party branch, with ten of the 11 executive committee members resigning their posts.

Their resignations are a “show of solidarity” for Mr McGuckin, they say. He was expelled from the party for posting what he says were “innocuous” comments on a Facebook page run by a left-wing group later banned by party officials.

The ten committee members have not, however, left the Labour Party. 

Now three Labour Carlisle city councillors have voiced their support, condemning his expulsion. Cathedral and Castle ward councillors Louise Atkinson, Anne Glendinning and Pete Sunter have issued a strongly worded statement.

They say: “As our city ward encompasses most of Councillor McGuckin’s county division, we have been used to passing information and support both ways between councils in order to help our residents access the help they need.

“Alan has been a great help in pushing matters forward with county officers and teams to do his best to get the right outcome.

“We were dismayed, therefore, to hear that the Labour Party had decided to expel Alan from its ranks. Not for any dereliction of duty as a councillor, nor for any lack of activism for the Labour Party – Alan has always been willing to deliver leaflets all over the city area when asked.

“The reason given is that Councillor McGuckin interacted with a Facebook group, posting a small number of comments on the Facebook page.

“The postings he made were in 2019 and 2020. In 2022 the Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC) decided to ban that group from membership. Alan has been expelled for interactions he made before the group were banned.

“To our knowledge, Alan has never done anything that would harm the Labour Party. As councillors we cannot see how expelling Alan McGuckin is helping the Labour Party, either locally or nationally.

“We support Councillor Alan McGuckin in his appeal against the decision.”

Mr McGuckin is now being forced to sit on the County Council as an "independent socialist", though party officials say he has the right to appeal against his expulsion.