General councillors and other notable defections

[Merseymike]

This discussion rather sums up the importance we give to party as a way of expressing our views.

Many other countries have far weaker senses of party and there is quite frequent shifting from one party to another, without necessarily large shifts in ideology

[Deleted]

I think it's understandable that activists and even politicians may sometimes feel that they'd like to try out a different party for a while. I can particularly understand that some younger Greens who weren't originally in Labour, the LibDems, the SNP or Plaid might start to wonder whether effectively confining themselves to a niche party with little prospect of running much any time soon was really the best idea. Some who defect will quickly be disappointed that being in Labour or whatever is not as they'd expected and may come 'home' before long.

What I find much harder to understand though is why Adam chose to defect on polling day of all possible times.

[Tactical Green]

I suspect polling day timing was asked of him by Labour to provide a story boost. Still pretty low and Cambridge Greens are utterly non existent, a gaping hole in a favourable area. He's also deleted his blog.

[Deleted]

I thought the Greens didn't accept councillor 'rats'? They make them sit as independents til they come up for re-election, IIRC?

[Pete Whitehead]

He isn't a councillor

[East Anglian Lefty]

Jul 23, 2013 10:06:15 GMT @rlemkin said:

The Greens already put a lot of faith in him and thanks to him their chances of staying on the city council fell to almost zero. His reasons for defection were pretty weak and didn't seem overly rooted in local factors. I'm not even sure I'd trust him with a clipboard.

I don't think it's really true that his defection sank the Greens. Margaret Wright's illness did most of the damage to their hopes, and the replacement candidate's lack of a local profile did the rest. Adam's defection may have depressed morale amongst Green supporters a little, but its impact was fairly marginal. Much more important was the revivification of the Labour organisation in the ward.

I wouldn't say the defection was rooted in local factors. Local personalities is another matter entirely.

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2013 9:50:10 GMT East Anglian Lefty said:

Jul 23, 2013 10:06:15 GMT @rlemkin said:

The Greens already put a lot of faith in him and thanks to him their chances of staying on the city council fell to almost zero. His reasons for defection were pretty weak and didn't seem overly rooted in local factors. I'm not even sure I'd trust him with a clipboard.

I don't think it's really true that his defection sank the Greens. Margaret Wright's illness did most of the damage to their hopes, and the replacement candidate's lack of a local profile did the rest. Adam's defection may have depressed morale amongst Green supporters a little, but its impact was fairly marginal. Much more important was the revivification of the Labour organisation in the ward.

I wouldn't say the defection was rooted in local factors. Local personalities is another matter entirely.

I meant more towards the future and his own council seat, although perhaps a moot point as he seemed to leave Cambridge pretty quickly afterwards and might not have doen much even if he was still a Green cllr.

[East Anglian Lefty]

Jul 24, 2013 9:54:29 GMT @rlemkin said:

Jul 24, 2013 9:50:10 GMT East Anglian Lefty said:

I don't think it's really true that his defection sank the Greens. Margaret Wright's illness did most of the damage to their hopes, and the replacement candidate's lack of a local profile did the rest. Adam's defection may have depressed morale amongst Green supporters a little, but its impact was fairly marginal. Much more important was the revivification of the Labour organisation in the ward.

I wouldn't say the defection was rooted in local factors. Local personalities is another matter entirely.

I meant more towards the future and his own council seat, although perhaps a moot point as he seemed to leave Cambridge pretty quickly afterwards and might not have doen much even if he was still a Green cllr.

In point of fact he'd already left Cambridge, because he'd moved to Rampton a couple of years before. Rampton is a small village about seven miles outside Cambridge with no public transport to speak of and Pogonowski didn't drive. He'd had difficult getting home from council meetings as a result and had also been criticised for making frequent expense claims for taxis. I think it's fair to say that would have made his re-election more difficult, although as I say it was the illness and subsequent death of Margaret Wright that really sank the Greens in Abbey.

[greenchristian]

Jul 24, 2013 8:40:51 GMT @peawet said:

I thought the Greens didn't accept councillor 'rats'? They make them sit as independents til they come up for re-election, IIRC?

Whilst it's not relevant to Adam Pogonowski , this varies across the country (as you would expect in a party with a decentralised structure). Solihull and Malvern Hills Green Parties, for example, have both accepted defecting councillors onto their groups before the councillors in question have been re-elected.

[froome]

Jul 24, 2013 9:50:10 GMT East Anglian Lefty said:

Jul 23, 2013 10:06:15 GMT @rlemkin said:

The Greens already put a lot of faith in him and thanks to him their chances of staying on the city council fell to almost zero. His reasons for defection were pretty weak and didn't seem overly rooted in local factors. I'm not even sure I'd trust him with a clipboard.

I don't think it's really true that his defection sank the Greens. Margaret Wright's illness did most of the damage to their hopes, and the replacement candidate's lack of a local profile did the rest. Adam's defection may have depressed morale amongst Green supporters a little, but its impact was fairly marginal. Much more important was the revivification of the Labour organisation in the ward.

I wouldn't say the defection was rooted in local factors. Local personalities is another matter entirely.

I not local to Cambridge, but from what I have heard I would say that EAL's comments are spot on. I would also agree that personality issues have been an important factor here.

[bungle]

May 17, 2013 10:33:47 GMT bungle said:

It must be that time of year. Copying Merton (though in less dramatic fashion) four Conservative councillors have defected to Independent on East Staffordshire BC citing "issues within the group" which they won't make public.

www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Tories-lose-majority-as-gang-of-four-quit-whip-20130517080000.htm

It seems the mediation by the local MP between the rebels and the council leader came to naught. The rebels are clearly burning their bridges by voting for opposition chairs of committees and now the local association is retaliating. Looks like they will remain 'independent' until 2015.

www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Another-councillor-loses-his-place-in-party-20130730102245.htm

[andrea]

2 Lab to Ind defections in Redcar. Council goes NOC.
www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/article5391644.ece#.Uflm7ifQIbg.twitter

[Tony Otim]

Jul 31, 2013 20:50:38 GMT andrea said:

2 Lab to Ind defections in Redcar. Council goes NOC.
www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/article5391644.ece#.Uflm7ifQIbg.twitter

But probably only until next week, assuming Labour hold the seat in the by-election.

[The Bishop]

Wouldn't Labour still be a seat short then?

[Tony Otim]

Yep - you're right. There seem to be an extra 3 independants (1 from labour and 2 from LD) compared to my records. I must have missed something at some point.

[independentukip]

More goings on in the Fens.

www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/two_liberal_democrat_councillors_quit_party_to_become_independents_1_2310983

Two Liberal Democrat councillors quit party to become Independents

Fenland District Councillor David Patrick and Wisbech Town Councillor Robert McLaren, who both represent Kirkgate, will be known as The Fenland Independent Alliance.

Cllr Patrick said: “We’ve been thinking about this decision over the past two or three months because a chasm has developed between us and the Liberal Democrats.

“Both Robert and myself feel we can no longer support national policies while locally we feel that support has been lacking in certain areas.

“We have taken the view and a very strong belief that councillors should strongly represent their local community rather than a political party which is why Robert and myself have decided to become independent.

“We have the utmost respect for some people within the Liberal Democrats and wish them the best for their future campaigns.”

Cllr Patrick was elected to Fenland District Council in a by-election in April 2010.

He secured a swing of 30 per cent towards the Liberal Democrats and achieved 51.4 per cent of the vote.

He added: “Cllr McLaren and myself will work with anybody from any party for the betterment of Wisbech and particularly Walsoken.

“By becoming an Independent, we believe we can serve people best as we can put their views first.

“We appreciate it’s far harder as an Independent as you don’t have the party machine behind you but equally you can vote with your conscience on what you believe is right.”

Cllr Partrick’s defection has altered the make-up of Fenland District Council.

It is now formed of 33 Conservatives, two Truly Independent councillors (Councillors Michael and Virginia Bucknor), two Liberal Democrat Alliance councillors (Liberal Democrat Councillor Gavin Booth and Independent Councillor Mark Archer), one Independent councillor (Councillor Rob Skoulding), the unaligned Councillor Kit Owen and Cllr Patrick, who has chosen to be known as a Fenland Independent.

[Deleted]

it would be nice if they could say what the actual policy differences were.

[East Anglian Lefty]

It would be nice if that sort of thing had any relevance in Fenland. The Bucknors used to be Labour way back when, Archer's been standing as an independent for years but is arguably to the right of the Tories and I think the others are ex-Tories. But that doesn't really matter - all the real political intrigue happens within the Tory group.

Multi-party politics might return to Fenland in 2015, but the local UKIP branch seem to be batshit insane even by Fenland standards, so that will depend upon them still being functional.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Two Respect councillors on Bradford City Council suspended - Mohammad Shabbir (Heaton ward) and Ishtiaq Ahmed (Manningham ward).

Apparently because they annoyed G Galloway by not supporting his bid to lose his deposit standing for Mayor of London.

[Deleted]

and so the collapse begins, gorgeous is oh so predictable ... awful MP for the gullible.