Councillor abandons coalition

THE Liberal Democrats' decision to form a coalition Government with the Conservatives has cost the party a city council seat in Yorkshire.

By The Newsroom

Published 3rd Jun 2010, 12:47 BST

Updated 3rd Jun 2010, 12:47 BST

Maureen Bristow, who was elected to Hull Council as a Liberal Democrat in 2007, announced yesterday she was defecting to Labour.

"I did not come into local politics to implement Tory-style policies that hit working people the hardest. My family are Labour supporters but I originally believed what the Lib Dems said to me about wanting to improve things for working people in Hull," said Councillor Bristow. "I have not seen very much evidence of this since 2007 and I do not believe they mean what they say. Forming a national coalition with the Tories proved this to me."

Hull's deputy Labour group leader Coun Daren Hale said: "Maureen has obviously agonised over this decision for some time as she watched principles thrown away by the Lib Dems locally."