An independent councillor has confirmed he will not be seeking re-election back on to any parish council or seeking a district council seat.
Cllr Thomas Loughbrough-Rudd currently represents Burntwood North at Staffordshire County Council.
He was originally elected as a Conservative member, before switching to become independent after a row over funding he received for a tree-planting scheme that never went ahead.
But Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd has told Lichfield Live his name will not be on the ballot paper again in May when the district and parish council elections are held.
“It is not my intention to stand at all in the upcoming May elections, nor for either for district or parish.
“I consider it very doubtful my mind will change on this matter.”
Cllr Thomas Loughbrough-Rudd, Staffordshire County Council
Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd’s time in office has been eventful since he was elected to the Burntwood North division in 2021, taking the seat from the Conservatives.
His social media accounts soon became filled with images of him meeting prominent senior Tories, including current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, alongside pictures of his taste for cigars and documenting his parenting challenges as the father to triplets.
But within months of his election, Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd was being investigated over £924 of taxpayer funding for a tree planting project that it later emerged never went ahead.
He had previously sat on both Burntwood Town Council and Hammerwich Parish Council but quit in the wake of the controversy, opting to remain only as a county councillor.
Click below to see how Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd’s time in office has evolved since 2021:
Note: This article has been amended to clarify that Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd will not be standing for either parish or district council roles – he will continue as a county councillor.
