Credit: Luke Akehurst
A prominent Labour councillor is to step down in May after 16 years serving the public.
Luke Akehurst, councillor for Chatham ward since 2002 and a council advisor previously for two years, will not be standing for the re-election on 22 May.
Speaking to the Hackney Post, Mr Akehurst said his reasons for stepping down are mainly personal, as he prepares to move to Oxford to be nearer to his wife’s family. His wife Linda, currently a Labour councillor for Clissold ward, is moving with him.
Mr Akehurst, 42, also expressed an interest in running for parliament in next year’s general election. Mr Akehurst has stood for election twice before, as a Labour candidate for Aldershot in 2001 and Castle Point in 2005.
“I might seek to go for a late parliamentary selection for the general election next year and I don’t think it would have been fair to commit to four more years as a Hackney councillor,” said Mr Akehurst.
“I won’t know until right up near to the election, because I have no idea which MPs will retire. It’s a bit of a lottery – it might happen, it might not.”
Mr Akehurst was the chief whip for the Labour group between 2002 and 2009. He was also elected as a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) – the ruling body of the Labour Party – from 2010 to 2012, a role he is campaigning to return to this year.
He described his main achievement as providing political stability within a council which used to have a history of infighting, and helping Labour continue to win convincing election victories.
“By providing that stable political platform it’s enabled [the mayor] Jules Pipe and his cabinet members to get on with the massive improvements to local services that they’ve done,” he said.
Best of luck Luke!
Hi Luke,
Apologies for that mistake. We have now corrected the article.
Best,
Sophie
Web Editor, Hackney Post
I didn’t do the whole 4 years you mention as Political Assistant – just 1998-2000 then a gap then back as a councillor in 2002.