Sanctus – Kate Cruz and Noreen Islington have resigned as Leader and Deputy Leader of the Sanctarian Conservative Party, respectively, tonight, the Executive Board of the party has announced. It comes as the police investigation into the finances of the party under the stewardship of both Cruz and Islington shows no sign of abating, with the Board confirming the resignations came at their unanimous request.
Both Cruz and Islington stood back from their duties in April of this year after the Sanctarian Federal Police began their investigation into potential financial impropriety in the SCP’s accounts, with both MPs insisting they had done nothing wrong, and that any financial mismanagement was inadvertent. A spokesperson for the SCP’s executive board declined to explain why the board only now has no confidence in the leadership of Cruz and Islington, only to say that “the Board are grateful the former Leader and Deputy Leader accepted its request to resign, and thank them for all their service in the name of the Party”.
Interim Leader Julie Chrisintim, who has been acting as the Party’s leader since April, echoed the Board’s statement saying she “was grateful for the leadership both Kate and Noreen provided since taking up their posts”. She also confirmed she would be staying in post as interim leader until the Party elected new leadership.
Kate Cruz had been leader of the SCP since May 2018 after that year’s disastrous election, and saw the party through a schism that created the New Sanctaria Party, and recover excellent ground in the 2022 general election. Many pundits had forecasted she would be in prime position to take the Chancellorship in 2027 had the SCP stuck with her. Cruz has not yet released a resignation statement, and her office has not returned a response at time of publication. It is not known if she, or her former deputy leader Noreen Islington, will remain MPs, though it is expected they will, barring any significant developments on the part of the SFP.
AHMED PATEL, Political Correspondent