Declan Bree resigns from Labour

This is taken from a local radio station in Sligo called ocean fm

Sligo councillor, Declan Bree, has resigned from the Labour Party.

In a statement released this afternoon, Cllr Bree says he has had serious concerns about the direction the party has taken under its present leadership.

He gives a number of reasons for his decision, mainly due to the failure of the Labour leader, Pat Rabbitte, to apologise to him for claiming that he abused his position as Mayor of Sligo to block an traveller accommodation site being located in his electoral ward.

Cllr Bree joined the Labour Party in 1992 and was later that year elected as a TD for Sligo-Leitrim, as part of the "Spring Tide" of new Labour Deputies.

He says his bears no personal animosity to the current Labour candidate, Jim McGarry, but insists he never shared Labour Party values, and consistently voted against the Labour Party at County Council and Borough Council level.

He adds that he also has major difficulties with the decision of the Labour Party to enter into a pre-election agreement with Fine Gael.