A prominent Reading councillor has left the Labour party, and has blasted the party’s leadership under Sir Keir Starmer on the way out.

Councillor Chris Maskell, a representative for the Battle ward on Reading Borough Council, has resigned from the Labour party after being suspended.

He has now spoken to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about why he has resigned, accusing the party of ‘weaponising’ the issue of anti-Semitism to remove critics of the leadership.

Cllr Maskell said: “I was suspended because of some malevolent individuals in the party because they didn’t like something I wrote on a Facebook post which was not mine back in October.

READ MORE: Councillor resigns from Labour in disgust over leadership

“It was about how Starmer people weaponise anti-Semitism to shut people up and get them suspended or expelled.

“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, that is what’s happening under Keir Starmer.

“These individuals reported me to the party whips and I was suspended.

“I was suspended from any activity from the party, but I was expected to continue paying my subs.

“I couldn’t tell anybody, all they said was I could talk to the Samaritans.”

Cllr Maskell has been a councillor for over 20 years, previously serving as the chair of the planning committee, vice chair of the licensing committee, a branch secretary and the borough mayor in 2007.

Cllr Maskell’s departure from Labour after long serving Conservative councillor David Stevens defected to the Labour party in January.

READ MORE: Conservative leader and MP reacts as former Mayor joins Labour

The warm welcome of cllr Stevens into the Labour party has also proven an issue with Cllr Maskell.

He said: “David Stevens was the last straw.

“He was quite a prominent Tory, in the opposition he criticised us quite freely and comfortably.

“If they Labour group want to accept life long Tories over and above loyal and hardworking members that’s up to them, but I want no part in it.

“To make it out as if he’s had an epiphany, it just doesn’t happen like that.

“That’s why I’m not going to join any other party, my party has been the Labour party.

“But why would I pay to be punished?

“I’m much happier, I’m glad I’ve done it. I am disappointed but that’s politics.

“I’m not the first and I won’t be the last.”

Cllr Maskell implied that he would not be able to stand for the Labour party in this year’s elections, which will be an all-out election.

He added: “I was looking forward to working on projects in Battle ward, that has been denied me.

“I’m not going to pay for the privilege of being suspended, enough is enough.”

Notifying the public of cllr Maskell’s resignation, councillor Jason Brock,  Reading Labour Group Leader and leader of the council said: “Cllr Maskell was suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation into comments posted on social media.

“He has decided to resign from Labour prior to the conclusion of this investigation and, consequently, will no longer sit as a Labour councillor.”