TWO councillors in Bromsgrove are calling on more people to come forward and stand in the next election as independent candidates.

Bromsgrove district councillor Steve Colella, and Worcestershire county councillor Rachel Jenkins have both thrown their hats back into the ring for the upcoming local district elections in May as candidates for the Hagley ward, but they’re also hoping to attract more people into local politics who are not party political.

Cllr Colella has been on Bromsgrove District Council since 2007 when he joined as a Conservative, but he grew disillusioned with the party over what he called "bickering and backbiting", and in February 2014 he announced he was leaving the party to become an independent councillor.

He said: "Rachel and I have been working hard as independent councillors and we hope Hagley residents will support our candidacy in May. We have clearly shown that it is the person that counts and not the affiliation to political parties that make an individual a good representative of the community for which they represent.

"I have first-hand experience where I was asked to put party politics ahead of my own person beliefs and was expected to go against my own voters. It is still going on now with recent examples of where councillors vote through decisions that are clearly against their own ward interests. We intend to try and change the political 'ping pong' in Bromsgrove starting with the announcement of our intentions.”

Rachel Jenkins is currently an independent county councillor for the Clent Hills ward, but now wants to stand for the district council.

She added: "When it come to local issues, supporting local people and dealing with the problems that affect people's everyday lives being independent puts us both in a much stronger position. We are free to be able to fully represent Hagley without the fear of having to follow party politics and the party whip.

"When it comes to voting at the district election we're asking people to leave their national political party preference to one side for the national vote and choosing us in Hagley as their independent candidate when voting who represents them at district. There is no place in local issues for party politics, both Steve and I have proved that."

Both councillors issued a call for like-minded people in Bromsgrove, especially in the parishes, to put themselves forward as independent councillors. Bromsgrove District Council currently has 25 Conservatives, 10 Labour, and four Independent Alliance councillors.