Kent county councillor Karen Constantine has resigned from the Labour Party after more than 40 years in disgust over welfare reforms.

Cllr Constantine, who represents Ramsgate and is standing down at the May elections, wrote to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to express her deep concerns the changes will have on the most vulnerable.

She also cited the government’s “refusal” to formally apologise over historic “state-sanctioned” forced adoptions as a reason for leaving.

Former Labour county member Barry Lewis, who now sits as an independent, said he was “not surprised” by her decision “as she has felt uncomfortable about the direction of the Labour Party under Starmer”.

Cllr Constantine has served on KCC for 10 years and has been a member of the Labour Party for 42, joining aged 19.

In her letter to Sir Keir, Cllr Constantine wrote: “My initial involvement was fuelled by the hope, optimism, and the fight for justice that the party embodied.

“Over the decades, I have been an activist, always believing that Labour stands for working people, fights for the vulnerable, and represents the working class.”

The government recently announced major changes to welfare payments, particularly personal independence payments (PIP) which will be more difficult for young adults to claim from next year.

Cllr Constantine also said she has spent years banging the drum for an official apology to women forced into having their babies adopted between 1949 and 1976.

In her letter to Sir Keir, she wrote: “As I near the conclusion of my term as Kent County Councillor for Ramsgate, I feel compelled to voice my profound disappointment and anger. The party has strayed from its core values, abandoned hope, and forsaken the democratic principles that I and many others hold dear. It has lost its way, it has left members like me.

“The recent proposed cuts to welfare have already instilled deep concern and will only further exacerbate the struggles of our society’s most vulnerable. This includes the disabled and many young people who are already facing significant hardship and difficulty in my division of Ramsgate.

“While Labour speaks of getting people back to work, it offers no viable solutions for the dire employment opportunities in my area.”

She said that Thanet has few major employers and work is often precarious and seasonal. Youth unemployment stands at around 10% - nearly 1,000 18-24 year olds - compared to 5.6% in Kent as a whole.

Cllr Constantine told the PM: “I am also angry and troubled by the ongoing refusal to apologise for historic forced adoptions—an issue that a parliamentary inquiry determined should have been addressed in 2021.

“Prior to coming to power the indications were Labour would issue this apology, which would mean so much, to so many people who are ageing. They hope for an apology, which is overdue, within their lifetimes. An apology has no cost.

“This leads me to a point of no return. I will no longer support Labour.”

She added: “I can no longer continue as a Labour member or County Councillor. My only option is to resign from my role and serve as an Independent councillor.”

Cllr Constantine received an "automated" response from the Labour Party which read: “We are very sorry to hear you would like to bring your membership of the Labour Party to an end. Our party is an incredible and powerful force for good.

“Together, with those that went before us, we’ve changed the lives of millions of people for the better.

“We hope you will reconsider changing your mind and decide you would like to stay so that you will be able to shape our party’s future and move forward with a vision of a better society.”

KCC Labour group leader Cllr Alister Brady was approached for a comment.