A COUNCILLOR has been expelled from his party group for behaviour described as “intolerable.”

Former Peacehaven mayor, Councillor Robbie Robertson was expelled after a meeting of the Conservative Group of Lewes District Council [LDC] on Thursday, after a string of embarrassing headlines starting when he failed to pay his council tax.

Cllr Robertson told The Argus he was sorry for having broken the code of conduct laid down for councillors but said he felt let down by the Conservative group.

He said: “I do feel ashamed for saying what I said but it’s a bit bad that the Conservatives have treated me this way.”

He promised to work hard for the residents of his ward as an independent councillor for Peacehaven on Lewes District Council.

Last year The Argus reported Cllr Robertson had received a court summons for non-payment of council tax.

He told our reporter when questioned that the tax had been his “lowest priority” after making sure other bills were paid. He added that he had wanted to “see how the system worked.”

He was formally reprimanded earlier this month by the LDC standards committee.

Committee chairwoman Isabelle Linington told Cllr Robertson his quote might encourage non-payment of tax and therefore had brought his office into disrepute. He was ordered to apologise at a full meeting of the council on February 23.

Cllr Robertson told The Argus he would be happy to apologise but could not attend the meeting due to the demands of his day job as the chauffeur for the mayor of Brighton and Hove.

He then asked: “It’s a pity that the expenses we get can’t go straight to our council tax so then no local authority wouldn’t be in a position to bring a member into disrepute. It could come out of our allowances.”

He was criticised for that comment by Andy Smith, Leader of Lewes District Council and Conservative Group Leader, who yesterday said: “His intolerable behaviour has reflected very badly on the council and left my group and I with no option than to take the appropriate disciplinary action.”

In a statement Lewes District Council said: “Councillor Robbie Robertson was today expelled from the Conservative group. Councillor Robertson will continue to sit as an elected member of Lewes District Council, but will do so as an independent councillor and not as a Conservative councillor.”