The 13 Green councillors who voted to expel a Christian politician for her stance on equal marriage have been revealed.

Christina Summers has been banned from sitting with her Green Party colleagues on Brighton and Hove City Coun- cil after voting against a proposal to lift the ban on same-sex marriage.

The Argus has now revealed the names of those Green councillors who signed a letter to the local authority’s chief executive requesting the removal.

Among the nine who did not sign it are current council leader Jason Kitcat , mayor Bill Randall , environment committee chairman Pete West and economic development and culture chairman Geoffrey Bowden.

Opposition councillors said they viewed the split as a “real concern”. But, in a statement, Rob Shepherd, a member of the Brighton and Hove Green Party executive, said: “We’ve publicly released the letter after speaking to those who signed it and after giving Coun Summers a reasonable time to have received and read it.

“It has also been made available on request to opposition party leaders.

“Clearly, not all Green councillors signed the letter, which was drawn up and signed out- side the meeting that made Coun Summers an independent councillor, but it would be wrong to speculate on the absence of any particular name: some councillors chose not to sign but others – who may have wished to sign – were simply unavailable at the time.

“Signing or not was a private choice for each councillor and this period has been difficult for all the Green councillors, whatever their final decision may have been.”

Coun Summers confirmed this week she would appeal the decision to the national party.

Conservative group leader Geoffrey Theobald described it as a “fundamental split”.

He said: “With the Greens now holding just 22 out of the 54 seats on the council it is no longer tenable for them to continue controlling key council committees and to push forward their pet schemes as though they were a majority administration.”

Labour group leader Gill Mitchell said: “Instead of focusing on internal splits and divides, the Greens should be concentrating on running services for the city.”

The signatories

  • Liz Wakefield
  • Rob Jarrett
  • Leo Littman
  • Phelim Mac Cafferty
  • Lizzie Deane
  • Sue Shanks
  • Christopher Hawtree
  • Ben Duncan
  • Sven Rufus
  • Mike Jones
  • Stephanie Powell
  • Amy Kennedy
  • Ruth Buckley

Those who did not sign

  • Matt Follett
  • Bill Randall
  • Geoffrey Bowden
  • Ian Davey
  • Ollie Sykes
  • Alex Phillips
  • Pete West
  • Jason Kitcat
  • Ania Kitcat