FOLLOWING our Bury North Labour Party Women's Forum AGM this week, members who were in attendance are writing to express our dismay at the circumstances in which Cllr Annette McKay has resigned from the Labour Party.

Cllr McKay is a skilled and committed community activist who has shown dedication to improving the lives of those in her ward, along with being a strong voice on women's and equality issues both locally and, recently, internationally.

As the Women's Forum, we work to several key aims including training and supporting women into positions of leadership and representation, organising campaigns to improve and redress the imbalance of sex-based discrimination, holding our local party to account on issues affecting women, and encouraging all women ­— within and beyond our party ­— to have a voice in our local democracy.

We are seeking answers to whether Cllr McKay and the seven other councillors (who signed and submitted a formal complaint about bullying and misogyny within the Labour Group), received a fair hearing from the Labour Party.

We need to be assured that our current complaints procedure is robust and transparent irrespective of where bullying originates.

We are concerned that we are losing talented councillors without redress as to their departure either within Bury Labour Group or by the Labour Party nationally.

As the Labour Party's local Women's Forum, we will continue to support all women in bringing their voices forward and look to work with the party and our communities to ensure an honest local democracy prevails.

Bury North Constituency Labour Party Women’s Forum