Councillor Gordon Cranney quits Hartlepool Conservative group

Gordon Cranney met Boris Johnson in Hartlepool four days after his court appearance

A councillor who was re-elected after pleading guilty to assaulting a woman has resigned from the Conservative Party.

Gordon Cranney was returned to Hartlepool's Seaton ward on Friday, just days after his court appearance which he kept from his Tory colleagues.

Earlier this week, Conservative borough councillors said they would boycott all meetings until the 41-year-old quit.

He said he would now continue to represent his ward as an independent.

Hartlepool Borough Council is politically controlled by a Conservative and Independent Union, meaning Councillor Cranney could continue to work alongside his former colleagues.

However, the leader of Hartlepool Independent Union, said Councillor Cranney would not be invited to join the coalition.

The leadership of Hartlepool Council is politically controlled by a Conservative and Independent Union

President of Hartlepool Conservatives Ray Martin-Wells said: "It does make it awkward,"

He added: "Gordon Cranney has no mandate to represent the people of Seaton ward who re-elected him - he should have done the decent thing and stood down and given the people the chance to re-elect him as an independent."

The local Tory group suspended Councillor Cranney a week ago after his re-election and held an investigation.

The leader of Hartlepool Independent Union, Councillor Shane Moore said: "While Councillor Cranney is now an independent councillor, he is not a member of Hartlepool Independent Union and he won't be invited to join the coalition of Independent and Conservative councillors."

'Think about future'

On Thursday Councillor Cranney said he understood the parties' positions and "wish them well".

"I never said I wouldn't resign - I just need a bit more time to think about the future," he said.

He appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court on 28 April to admit a charge of assault by beating, which related to an attack on 6 February in Hartlepool.

He was given a two-year community order, told to attend a violence reduction programme and ordered to pay fines totalling £180.

Four days after he pleaded guilty met and was photographed with Prime Minister Boris Johnson who was on the campaign trail in Hartlepool.

The council's managing director Denise McGuckin said she had received confirmation the councillor was now an independent and would retain his seat.

She added: "At present, a person is only disqualified if they have - within five years before the day of election or since their election - been convicted... of any offence and has had passed on them a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine."