Election to be held as 'stolen valour' Councillor Greg Brackenridge resigns seat on Wolverhampton Council
A councillor who falsely claimed to have served as a Royal Marine has resigned his seat, eight months after being found to have broken council rules.
Councillor Greg Brackenridge has stepped down as a councillor for Wednesfield South, meaning that voters are likely to be asked to elect two councillors for the ward in the local elections on May 7.
The former mayor was ordered in July to issue a formal apology after being found in breach of the council's code of conduct, but failed to agree on wording with the council authorities.
He was suspended by the council's Labour group after being found guilty of four breaches of the councillor's code of conduct.
Councillor Brackenridge, a Labour councillor for 11 years, was suspended from the group in the wake of a ruling by the council's governance and ethics sub-committee, which found he had shown disrespect to the public, used his position to improperly gain political advantage, and brought both his role and the council into disrepute. He was further found to have breached the code by failing to co-operate with the investigation.
He has sat as an independent councillor since July, despite repeated requests from both Labour and Conservative members to quit his seat.
He served as chairman of West Midlands Fire Authority until October last year when he resigned in the wake of the 'stolen valour' allegations. He also resigned from his post as chairman of Wolverhampton's armed forces covenant board.
He is the husband of Wolverhampton North East MP Sureena Brackenridge, and his son Ciaran is also a councillor for the same ward, who is due to stand for re-election on May 7.
One of the allegations related to an election leaflet in which Councillor Brackenridge referred to 'my previous professional careers, firstly with the Royal Marines, and then as a local firefighter'.
In September 2021, during his term as mayor, he unveiled the Saraghari Memorial memorial to Sikh soldiers in Wednesfield, saying: "I served as a Royal Marine myself when I left my school and I worked with members of the Sikh community in the armed forces, and people from all around the world - the Nepalese and the Gurkhas."
He was also pictured wearing a Royal Marines tie. But it later emerged that while he did some Commando training after leaving school, he never completed this and was therefore not entitled to describe himself as a former Royal Marine.
A notice by Wolverhampton Council said: "Under section 87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 a casual vacancy has arisen in office of councillor for the Wednesfield South ward due to the resignation of Councillor Greg Brackenridge.
"Pursuant to section 89(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 a request to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy must be made in writing by two local government electors from within the local government area.
"There is no time limit for receiving the request, but if the required number is not received, the seat will remain vacant."
