8:47am Thursday 3rd August 2006
Labour Oxford city councillor Dan Paskins has forced another by-election by announcing he is to quit the Town Hall.
The 26-year-old executive board member and Lye Valley councillor will become the fifth Labour councillor to quit this calendar year. He is due to leave officially in a couple of weeks.
Mr Paskins, who joined the council in 2002 and until May this year worked as a Labour campaign manager, is moving to Liverpool to work for the Campaign Against Poverty.
Mr Paskins had hoped to keep his move secret for at least a fortnight, but speaking to the Oxford Mail last night, he said: "I can't be working full time in Liverpool and full time in Oxford, so I'm stepping down.
"But there is nothing sinister in it.
"I'm excited about this job, but I am going to miss Oxford.
"I hope whoever is elected will be carrying on with some of the things I have been working on."
Exactly a week ago a by-election was held in Hinksey Park after Labour city councillor Rick Muir quit the authority to take up a job in London.
And before May's local elections, Labour group leader Alex Hollingsworth, his partner Susan Brown, Bill Baker and Bill Buckingham all resigned.
After the election, when the Liberal Democrats took control of the city council, Mr Paskins was given a place on the decision-making executive board, alongside Labour colleague Antonia Bance in a non-portfolio capacity.
When Labour ran the council he was executive member for social inclusion.
A by-election is likely to be held in late September or October.
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