Labour’s Tristram Burden has stepped down after two years in the role, resulting in a by-election for Queen’s Park ward in Brighton.
Mr Burden announced his departure on Tuesday (July 29) citing a conflict of interest with his new job as a local authority inspector for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and has resigned with immediate effect.
During his two years as a councillor, Mr Burden chaired the adult social care and public health sub-committee, was a member of the health and wellbeing board and in February stepped down as cabinet member for adult social care, public health and service transformation.
He also chaired the hospital liaison board during the modernisation programme at the Royal Sussex County Hospital until March this year.
In his resignation letter, Mr Burden said: “Being a councillor must be supplemented with a regular job or other income, and until December of last year I had the good fortune of being able to balance both working life and public service.
“After a long search, I finally started a new job in late June and declared from the outset my position as an elected member of a local authority.
“But after lengthy deliberation internally and with third-party advice, my new employer has now concluded that continuing as an elected member is a conflict of interest with my new role.
“Personal circumstances and the spiralling cost of living mean I must stand down to ensure I can sustain a decent quality of life for me and my family.
“I’m so proud to have represented the people of Queen’s Park, to have served as lead member for adult services and in the cabinet.
“Working with elected members, such dedicated council staff, voluntary organisations and community champions to improve the ward and the city in such a variety of ways has been a huge honour and a privilege.”
Mr Burden said that he was remaining a member of the Labour Party.
He is the sixth person elected as a Labour councillor to resign since the May 2023 local elections, and the second Queen’s Park ward councillor.
He was elected alongside Chandni Mistry, who resigned after being ejected from the Labour Party following claims that she lived in Leicester rather than Brighton and Hove.
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