The leader of Swale’s Labour group has resigned to take up a job as head of the leader’s office at Barking and Dagenham council.

The new position prevents Cllr Mike Haywood from continuing in his role as representative for Roman ward after 12 and a half years.

But a familiar face is hoping to replace Cllr Haywood come the May 7 election – his wife, Georgie Jessiman.

Speaking about his move, which surprised fellow councillors at last week’s full council meeting, he said: “It’s a London authority with an £850 million budget and an £200 million regeneration programme.

“I’m going to be at the heart of it, working alongside a new chief executive heading up a small team providing high-level policy and lobbying advice.

“I have spent a life in politics, and it’s been something of a double life. As well as being a local councillor, I’ve also worked for Margaret Hodge MP from 1999, and – prior to that – [former Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP] Derek Wyatt in 1997.

“It’s also how I met my wife, who used to pay me in the House of Commons.

“Locally, I’m proudest of my work on housing.

“I stopped the council sending homeless families to Margate 10 years ago.

“We were putting people up in a doss house known as Hotel Leslie.

“I also helped secure a decent living wage for the lowest paid at the council.

“I also saw the last Labour government at first hand.

“It was such an exciting time to be in Westminster, and it was so easy being Labour.

“I remember putting my pen down in my House of Commons’ office when the general election was called in 2005 thinking ‘I’ll be back in a few weeks’.”

Speaking about local issues, he added: “My Labour colleagues and I would have had a much bigger focus on our town centres years ago – free parking, cleaner streets, and making a priority of completing the northern relief road.

“We’d drop the road through the countryside to the M2.

“And we want to see better jobs come to the area, especially on Sheppey. We didn’t get a new bridge just to get a few more supermarkets.

“And we’d campaign harder on the NHS.

“It’s obvious our GP and A&E services are being rationed.

“I will watch the local scene with interest.

“My wife is standing in Roman Ward. I will be there for her just like she’s been there for me.”

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Cllr Haywood said he also witnessed the dark side of politics.

“I was in charge of the campaign that saw off Nick Griffin and the BNP in Barking at the general election in 2010.

“I had two paid agents and 300 volunteers on polling day. The returning officer afterwards told me they could tell which roads we were reminding to vote because whole streets were turning out to vote together.

“It was a massive battle. We weren’t sure what was going to happen. Television crews from round the world were encamped in the area for weeks. I think it took five years off my life. I was utterly shell-shocked afterwards, but I learned a lot. It taught me politics can be the worse but also the most decent thing in the world.

“I remember the council meeting here immediately afterwards. The first person to come up and congratulate me for the result was [Tory leader] Andrew Bowles.

“I’ve never told him this but I was really touched. Of course, we passionately disagree on what is right for Swale.”