Senior Labour councillor Charlotte Holloway has confirmed she will not be standing in Drake Ward in May’s local elections.
This comes just days after Chaz Singh, a former councillor for Drake Ward, announced his intention to stand as an independent.
After criticism over broken promises and poor attendance, local residents are left asking whether Cllr Holloway is cutting and running before voters get the chance to deliver their verdict.
Cllr Holloway has been a councillor for Drake Ward since 2022, when she narrowly defeated Independent Cllr Steve Ricketts.
In 2019, she took on Johnny Mercer in Plymouth Moor View, however Mercer tripled his majority. Cllr Holloway failed to be selected for Plymouth Moor View in 2024, losing to Fred Thomas.
Cllr Holloway’s exit from politics fits into a larger pattern. Across the country, Labour politicians are quietly retreating from scrutiny as the party’s standing with the British public collapses to historic lows.
Under Keir Starmer, Labour has recorded its worst ever approval ratings, with just 18% of Britons viewing the Prime Minister favourably and three quarters viewing him unfavourably.
Under Labour’s stewardship, Plymouth has faced mounting financial pressures, with the council carrying significant budget overspends, particularly in children’s services, where spending ran £11 million over budget in 2024/25 alone.
Cllr Holloway’s decision not to seek re-election has prompted discussion in Drake Ward about representation and accountability.
Her departure means voters will not have the opportunity to directly judge her record at the ballot box in May.
Instead, attention now turns to who will contest the seat. Which brings us to an interesting question. Could the prospect of Chaz Singh have anything to do with Cllr Holloway’s decision?
Singh is a name that carries real weight in Drake Ward. He represented the area for years, first under Labour before resigning from the party in 2019 to serve as an Independent, and built a reputation as a visible, hard working community councillor who showed up.
Singh left Drake in 2023, but he remains well known and well regarded among residents. If he were to return to stand as an Independent in May, it would put Labour in a very uncomfortable position.
Could that be why Holloway has chosen not to face the music?
Drake Ward voters will not get to pass judgement on her record in May, but you can have your say below.
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