Friday, September 18, 2009

Another LibDem PPC Sees the Light

On the eve of their conference, the LibDems suffered another defection to the Conservatives today. James Keeley, their PPC in Skipton & Ripon, has jumped ship, becomimg the ninth LibDem PPC to quit the LibDems for the Tories in the last couple of years, along with one MEP and more than 50 councillors.

Defections are never one way traffic, but this does now seem to be a bit of a trend.

10 comments:

wonkotsane said...

It seems there are only two parties making gains at the moment - the Tories and UKIP. A Tory councillor defected just last week ...

Mark Senior said...

James Keeley stood down as PPC in early March , so I'm afraid your thread is incorrectly titled .
There have been an admittefly smaller number of Conservative councillor defections to the LibDems since 2005 , the traffic is mot all one way .

Iain Dale said...

Mark, how unexpected to see you posting on this thread! He has been a PPC so no probs with the headline.

If you had read my post you would have seen that I said defection traffic is not all one way.

David from Ealing said...

I gather he was the Lib Dem PPC until February.

I see that James Kirkup of the Telegraph is saying:

"I don’t know much about Mr Keeley. I wonder if he’s the same James Keeley who told the BBC in March:
“There will be no deal with anybody. We will support what we can support on principle. If we get into bed with anybody it will be a disaster for our party.
“There will never, ever be a coalition between this party and the Conservatives.”

Anonymous said...

@Mark Senior: pwnd.

Anonymous said...

The Liberal Democrats are doomed - DOOMED to defeat at the next election!

No wonder sensible Lib Dems have seen the light and defected to a party that puts Country first, the Tories!

Lib Dems tend to put party first and some in the Lib Dems (Though it seems to be a growing number) have decided to put Country before Party and help the Tories put the country on the right track.

It is a shame some Lib Dems can only think of winning by-elections for local seats. The bigger picture is the countries plight after Labours economic failure.

no longer anonymous said...

Oh what a surprise, here comes Mark Senior, Lib Dem spinner in cheif.

rob's uncle said...

The problem with the headline is that it should read 'Another LibDem EX-PPC Sees the Light'. You are an EX-Parliamentary candidate so you should know what 'Ex' means:

‘Former, quondam; outdated, passé.
. . 1952 WODEHOUSE Barmy in Wonderland xiii. 126 ‘I allude to my fiancée. Or, rather, my ex~fiancée.’ ‘Is she ex?’ ‘Ex to the last drop. You never saw anything Ex-er.’
1955 Times 16 June 12/2 ‘Is she a member, or an ex-member, of the Communist Party?’ ‘She is an ex-member’. ‘When did she go ‘ex’?’‘ [OED]

Anonymous said...

I wonder what that famous Tory to Lib Dem defector Emma Nicholson thinks of this?

Manfarang said...

Labour=Nu Conservatives
Tories put the country first!
Which country is that?
Spain,USA or any other country where the true blues reside.
They would live in any country except Britain