INDEPENDENT Commun-ity and Health Concern (ICHC) has been rocked by the resignation of its Leader less than a month after losing its MP.

The latest blow to the party, born out of the fight to save Kidderminster General Hospital, came when Leader Howard Martin quit amid accusations of disloyalty.

He was the agent for Dr Richard Taylor who lost the Wyre Forest parliamentary seat in the General Election on May 6.

Mr Martin, who had been ICHC Leader for four years and a member of the party for 11 years, said his decision to leave came to a head last Friday when he was not backed by senior members on policy and organisation matters.

He will now sit as an Independent while he reflects on his options, he revealed.

“For 11 years I have given unquestioned support and loyalty to both ICHC and Richard Taylor,” he said.

“I asked for that support and loyalty to be returned a little on a matter of principle but it was, sadly, not forthcoming.

“It made my continuation with them, as Leader, untenable and, therefore, it was better for all concerned that I made a clean break. There have been other recent internal differences and my leaving was only a matter of time and was not prompted by one issue.

“I have strong principles and standards by which I run my political life and I was not prepared to compromise them to pander to others with a personal agenda.”

Dr Taylor, chairman of ICHC, thanked Mr Martin for his party work.

He said: “We thank Howard for all the considerable work he has done for Health Concern over a long period and wish him well as an Independent Wyre Forest district councillor.”

The party will decide who will succeed Mr Martin as Leader on Monday.

The resignation prompted the Conservative candidate who lost out to Mr Martin in last month’s district council election for Broadwaters to call for a re-run.

Mr Martin, who was also Mayor of Kidderminster until last Thursday, won the seat after gaining 198 more votes than Steve Walker.

“We should call for a by-election as Mr Martin is no longer ICHC, as elected by the Broadwaters ward,” said Mr Walker.

“I just hope that the people of Broadwaters don’t feel disgusted and fooled by this change.

“He should step aside now and let the electorate decide again who they want as their councillor for the next four years.”

Wyre Forest Tory Leader, John Campion, said he hoped residents in Broadwaters did not feel “duped” by Mr Martin’s resignation.

“It just seems strange,” he explained. “Just a few weeks after the election and he’s standing down from the party that he was elected for.”

Mr Martin explained to The Shuttle, however, that he was committed to ICHC during the local elections.

“I went to a meeting on Friday, fully expecting to come out as Leader of the party,” he said.

He added that he was not downhearted about his resignation and felt buoyant.

Wyre Forest Liberal Leader, Fran Oborski, said it was “obvious” there were issues within the ICHC group.

She added: “Howard is an extremely good ward councillor and, obviously, he will be wanting to ensure that he will be able to fully represent the interests of the Broadwaters ward in the future.”

Mr Martin joined ICHC in 1999 to “fight the corner” of the threatened Kidderminster General Hospital.

“My time on the party has been a rollercoaster,” he said. “It’s had many ups and downs.

“To be party leader has been a fabulous experience and not one that I would have missed.”