A councillor has taken aim at his leader and the authority’s civil servants as he announces his retirement

Tom Bewick, the pro-Leave Labour city councillor for Westbourne in Hove, told The Argus that Brexit offered an opportunity to empower councils.

But his method for doing so would involve half his colleagues losing their jobs.

Cllr Bewick told The Argus: “I see Brexit as an opportunity to reinvigorate local government – and give powers coming back from Brussels to councils.

“We should halve the number of councillors and elect a single chief councillor who can appoint a deputy and six executive members.”

Last week it was announced that Cllr Bewick, who has a 25-year career in the education and qualifications sector, had been appointed chief executive of the trade body the Federation of Awarding Bodies.

The 47-year-old has therefore decided not to run as a ward councillor again next May, but has plenty of advice for those that do.

He said: “I feel local government is not family friendly enough and drives good people away from politics. We mustn’t allow it to become the preserve of people who no longer need to work, younger career politicians or those who would struggle to find a proper job elsewhere.

“I really hope a strong slate of candidates come forward for 2019; particularly people who have real experience of running things at a senior level.”

The father of three said council leader Warren Morgan deserved more credit than he has received for reviving the Labour Party’s fortunes in the city.

But he accused Cllr Morgan of engaging in factional in-fighting and said it was right that he announced his resignation last month.

He said he would have stood for the leadership himself were it not for his recent appointment, although he acknowledged his anti-EU stance had not won him many friends in his party, with some colleagues having “rounded on him” over the issue.

Cllr Bewick was elected in 2015 and was the only Labour councillor to win a seat from the Tories in that election.

He chaired the children young people and skills committee for two years before stepping down in January 2017.

Yesterday he added his voice to the call for a year-round homeless shelter, saying: “We really can eradicate this scourge and it is the least we should be doing for our residents.”