Leicester has a new political party: One Leicester

The former senior Leicester Labour Rita Patel has announced the formation of a new political party: One Leicester.

Patel was one of the Labour elected mayor Sir Peter Soulsby's assistant mayors until March of this year, but left Labour after being suspended by the party for questioning whether the city should continue with the mayoral system.

She then stood against Soulsby on a platform of abolishing the post of elected mayor in May's election for that role, but failed to prevent his winning a fourth term.

Patel told BBC News:

"Our politics, not just in Leicester, but in the rest of the country is broken. Recently one of Westminster's youngest MPs quit politics because she said parliament was toxic.

"I can tell you, this isn't just unique to parliament. Coming from different political strands we believe that it is important that we should have a new approach to politics in the city, one that is not party political based or structured in class-based ideology, and not opposing everything that the others do.

"But one that is based on local issues designed to help local people. I believe very passionately that this is the way forward for our city." 

Though Labour still runs the city council as well as having the elected mayor, the party in Leicester has been demoralised by the control freakery of first Soulsby and then Keir Starmer. Before this May's council election 19 sitting Labour councillors were barred from standing again by the national party.

And the Conservatives are making a comeback in the city by targeting the Hindu vote - some claim even at the cost of widening religious divisions. Commentators even see the Tories as favourites to win Keith Vaz's old seat of Leicester East at the next election.

Add in a modest revival for the Liberal Democrats, and a new party that may attract its voters is the last thing Labour needs.

I welcome more organised opposition to the city having an elected mayor. The best traditions of local government are collegiate, and the wish for a single leader who will bang heads together to get things done goes against them.