Labour fury as Wirral councillor defects to Conservatives

May 19 2009 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

Labour fury as Wirral councillor defects to Conservatives

WIRRAL’S Labour group last night branded the defection of one of its former councillors to the Conservatives “unforgivable”.

As revealed last week in the Daily Post, Seacombe councillor Denis Knowles had been in talks with the Tory group after falling out with the Labour leadership on Wirral Council.

Last night, at a meeting of the full council – to decide who would sit on which committees – Cllr Knowles finally let his decision be known.

Cllr Knowles said the policies pursued by Labour had “undermined people’s respect for our [political] system”.

He said Labour under council leader Steve Foulkes had achieved many things in Wirral of which he was proud, but Cllr Foulkes was “increasingly obsessed by his place in history”.

Cllr Knowles said he was “desperately sad” to leave the party, but afterwards said it felt “like a weight had been lifted”.

However, Labour immediately counter-attacked, suggesting the move was sour grapes over Cllr Knowles not being re-selected to a position on Merseytravel. They also released a copy of a declaration dated yesterday, signed by Cllr Knowles, that he intends “to remain within the Labour Party”.

Cllr Foulkes told councillors: “The reaction of Denis to not getting his place on Merseytravel has been almost obscene.

“I can’t help making the connection with the financial loss from not being on Merseytravel, which has been substantial.”