ALLEN BRANLEY, The White House Westoe Village, South Shields Tyne and Wear NE33 3EB Telephone home: 01914560152 work 01914271029 Email address server@allenbranley.co.uk DEAR NEIGHBOUR 1am writing to you to inform you of my resignation from the Council on the 17th June 2009 in order to fight a by-election. This has been a very difficult decision to take and I have thought long and hard about it for some considerable time. After discussing this at length with friends, family and colleagues | do feel that it is the right decision for both me and you the people of Westoe but more importantly for the Borough of South Tyneside. "Please take some time to read this letter which provides the background and explanation for my decision and please do contact me here at home should you wish me to provide more information or further clarification. Since | first stood as an Independent candidate here in our area of Westoe and against the ruling Labour Party you have consistently supported me, our friends and colleagues and returned Independent Councillors to represent you. | personally am extremely grateful for this privilege to represent, you over the years. | have done so willingly, voluntarily and | must say gladly. The hundreds and hundreds of individual enquiries which myself and my wife Councillor Jane Branley have taken up on your behalf have made the job of representing you an extremely happy one. Unfortunately there are other aspects of the job which | have come to find extremely frustrating. Your example of supporting Independent candidates overwhelmingly in the face of large well supported national parties here in South ‘Tyneside has sparked something of a revolution which has resulted year upon year in more and more Independent candidates being elected to the council of South Tyneside which clearly demonstrates that the lead that you have given reflects the overwhelming view of an increasing majority of people in South Tyneside. Despite this, however, my colleagues and | have found it increasingly difficult and been frustrated in properly representing your views in the Council chamber and in being stopped from properly scrutinising Council business in a civilised and objective manner. It has always been my intention to encourage as many people from as many different backgrounds and regardless of their national politics to stand and to get involved in the local Council in order to have a greater variety and diversity of views on the Council, which | hoped would lead to a fairer more transparent and more accountable local authority. | sincerely hope that this remains the case and that you and many other areas of the Borough will continue to support candidates who stand as Independents and that they will be Independent on the Council.