LibDems plunged into disarray after top cllr quits party

North London LibDems were left reeling when one of their councillors in their flagship Borough of Islington sensationally quit the party citing the following reasons:

• The LibDems are neither liberal nor democratic
• They have appointed a LibDem SPIN DOCTOR as CHIEF EXECUTIVE of the borough  a position that is meant to be non-political  opening themselves to the accusations of SLEAZE
• Too many of them use local service on the Council as a careerist stepping-stone into Parliament
• They back Ken Livingstones policy to force local house-builders to allocate 50% of new homes to social housing  resulting in fewer new homes being built or offices being built instead.
• They have abandoned their commitments to the arts

Cllr. Richard Heseltine MA, first elected to Islington Council in 1986 and a former Chairman of Planning, said*: I am resigning from the Liberal Democrats after eight years because I perceive them to be neither particularly liberal nor especially democratic. The increasing philistinism of the LibDems, and the way they have abandoned their commitment to the arts is something I am very unhappy with.

Richards other bugbears include the councils new cabinet system where all decisions are made by an executive of nine councillors, the abolition of the old planning committee and the appointment of former LibDem policy adviser Helen Bailey as Islingtons new chief executive.

Justin Hinchcliffe, a spokesman for Haringey Conservatives, said: North London Liberal Democrats are lurching from one crisis to another. Richards decision to quit the party is a severe blow to Haringeys LibDems. This is the second major blow to Haringey Liberal Democrats after their disastrous by-election result at Tottenham Hale in January; the wheels are coming off the LibDem bandwagon.

Cllr. Dave Barnes, ANOTHER north London LibDem to quit the party and become an Independent, said: I agree with Richards decision entirely. The only thing I regret about it is that I was hoping people like him and myself could bring back liberalism and democracy to the Lib Dems, now Im not confident that we can.

Cllr. Richard Heseltine added: The council has turned into a mere training ground for parliamentarians. Ive never been to a party conference in my life. I like to keep my politics local, but it seems I am a dying breed.

I did worry that I may be letting people down who voted for me as a Lib Dem but the truth is people voted for us because we werent Labour, and that is certainly true of me. I will definitely not be joining the Labour party.

I am also opposed to the Lib Dems economically illiterate policy that all new housing developments should be half social housing. If you tax the providers of housing, the result will be that they stop doing it and leave land derelict or else build offices.

* Highbury and Islington Express

Notes to Editors:

Cllr. Richard Heseltine represents St. Marys Ward, is a governor at City University, The Cripplegate Foundation and Sadlers Wells Theatre.

ENDS.