Lib Dem switches to the Tories

Zahida Manzoor said she was impressed by the Prime Minister’s talk of promoting social mobility.

“Leaving the Lib Dems, where I’ve been a member for three years in the House of Lords, was tough, but it was the right thing to do. I could not support the leadership of a party that calls itself democratic and then refuses to acknowledge the will of the people in a referendum,” she said.

“Theresa May’s vision of a Britain that works for everyone, and her clear leadership over Brexit, now make the Conservatives a natural home for me and millions of people like me, from all communities across the UK.

“As Britain embarks on a new journey, outside the EU but reaching out to trade with the world, and as we really begin addressing the problems of social mobility at home, I look forward to helping play my part as a Conservative,” Baroness Manzoor added.

From 1992 to 1997 she served as the Chairman of Bradford Health Authority before being appointed as one of the eight Regional Chairmen for the National Health Service (NHS). In this role she was responsible for the Northern and Yorkshire Region of the NHS with a budget of £3.5 billion and serving a population of 6.3 million. She held this position from 1997 to 2001 during which time she also served as a member of the Policy Board for the NHS.