THE UK's newest Independent Group of politicians to have quit their parties fed up at a perceived culture of bullying and extremism has been created in Wirral.

The local politics scene remarkably continues to reflect what's happening in Westminster – with the formation of a new group confirmed in the same week as Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger – along with 10 other rebels – sensationally quit their respective parties to sit as a new group.

Westminster's Independent Group is now bigger than the DUP and the same size as the Liberal Democrats.

Today, it was confirmed there will be a new Independent Group on Wirral Council too – made up of the three members to have quit Labour in recent months – most recently Rock Ferry Cllr Chris Meaden, over "public attacks" from the "hard left".

Cllr Meaden will sit alongside Cllr Mike Sullivan and group leader Cllr Moira McLaughlin in the new group, who will have no whip.

The group said each member will vote on issues as they wish, based on the "best interests of their constituents".

A joint statement from the three councillors said: "We all left the Labour Party for similar reasons.

"We felt the Labour Party had changed and was no longer the party we joined. Leaving was a very difficult decision and this wasn’t something we planned. 

"However, now that we've left, by forming an Independent Group we will have access to the same information, briefings from officers and representation on committees as the other groups.

"This means we can continue to try to do our very best for the residents we serve."

Rock Ferry member Cllr McLaughlin quit the party after 40 years in October, citing "absolute aggression" of the "hard-left clique", while Pensby and Thingwall representative Cllr Sullivan announced his resignation from Labour after what he described as bullying by "hard-left parasites" back in August.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Service, Cllr McLaughlin said the formation of the group was not in direct response to the unfurling situation in Westminster.

She said the idea, which will mean the group has similar powers to a political group, was first mooted by herself and Cllr Sullivan before Cllr Meaden's resignation.

She said: "This is not a power play.

"It's to give ourselves the advantage of being a group, meaning we have the right to sit on committee places.

"I will be making decisions on how I vote purely on what I believe is the right thing to do for my constituents.

"It will give me that kind of freedom."

When asked whether she expected others to leave their parties and join the group, Cllr McLaughlin said she "didn't know" if they would.

But she added: "A lot I've spoken to are very, very concerned about what's going on [in Wirral Labour].

"Some tell us they are trying to fight it from within, but I'm not sure how they think they are doing that – it's completely ineffective.

"There's no way you can fight it from within because [the party is] just dominated by rules made by the Local Campaign Forum."

She said she's had a good response from constituents after telling them she is now independent, and no longer aligned to a political party.

"When I tell people I am not a Labour councillor anymore I expected a negative reaction.

"But what I am getting is a real enthusiasm for not being part of the party political system as it currently stands.

"I believe there is real dissatisfaction with it, and severe scepticism.

"People are much more willing to listen to me saying I am an independent.

"I think people have lost faith [in the political system] – not just because of Brexit.

"Party politics is broken."

The first vote the group will have will comes on Monday at an extraordinary meeting of the council, called by the opposition Conservative group, to discuss the controversial Hoylake Golf Resort.

Motions have been put forward by each political party.

While Cllr McLaughlin would not reveal which she would vote for or against, she revealed her "grave concerns" about the huge project, and the "capacity of officers to carry it through".

In terms of her reaction to friend and colleague Cllr Chris Meaden quitting the party in protest at a "hard-left" takeover, she said: "I fully support her and understand the reasons – they were the same reasons as mine."

With three members, the Independent Group has more councillors than the greens (one), and two fewer than the Lib Dems (five).

The ruling Labour group has 36, while the Conservatives hold 21 seats.