NEWPORT councillor Noel Trigg is to resign from the Labour party at the end of his term as mayor. And yesterday, he launched a stinging attack on his fellow councillors.

Councillor Trigg, who represents Bettws and will be mayor until May, claims of a lack of support from his Labour colleagues and alleges that city councillors are putting party politics before the good of Newport.

He says he will retain his Labour party membership until the end of his term as mayor, then continue as an independent.

Cllr Trigg says he is "divorcing" himself from New Labour. He criticised bank bosses getting big pensions while working-class people lose their homes.

He said: "I see people telling me they're losing their homes, I get home from surgeries and I'm near to tears with the stories I hear.

"When I look at local politics, it doesn't matter what party you belong to, we should be determined to work for the people of Newport, we should all pull in the same direction but we're not.

"They're not working for the people of Newport, they're working for themselves."

Cllr Trigg, 78, has been a councillor and Labour party member for 19 years said full council meetings used to last around two-and-a-half hours, but now they are going on for up to five because of arguments.

He said: "My job as a Labour man is to fight for the people of Newport, but now Labour have lost control, they're like a lot of school kids - I don't think they're working with the Tories and the Lib Dems for the benefit of Newport.

"One of the things that pushed me was the majority of the Labour party has done nothing to help me as the Mayor, even next year's Mayor Glyn Jarvis, he hasn't supported me one hap'orth."

Cllr Jarvis said: "We (with fellow Bettws councillor Val Delahaye) have supported him as much as we could, he's been mayor so we've been doubly busy ourselves in our ward duties."

Cllr Trigg informed Labour group leader Bob Bright of his decision on Wednesday.

Councillor Bright, said: "It is with sad regret that we hear of his (Cllr Trigg's) resignation. I have always got on very well with him and I will be sorry that he will be going. "But he has, of late and for some time now, been semi detached from the party."