From my own conversations with him while working to get him re-elected I am reasonably sure that this was not an overnight conversion but the result of his loss of the chair of corporate services.
I believe he has been peeved at his lack of standing within the Lib Dem group for some time and the ward association asked for assurances of his commitment to the party before reselecting him as our candidate this time. He gave us just those assurances.
It is always a difficult call when someone is elected under one banner and feels no longer able to support the ethos they represent. This normally only happens some years after they have been elected.
Councillor Ann McAllister, his adopted leader, says this decision came after long consideration. It would seem that either he was considering this before he took Lib Dem funds for his election or he has started out with the Tories by stringing them a line.
I, for one, will be very surprised indeed if he has not done a deal with the Tories by which he will receive special responsibility or some form of political advancement in return for his defection.
It is very sad that the electors of my ward have been deceived in this way when they have soundly rejected every offer from the Con-servatives for a Tory councillor for 35 years to have one foisted upon them in this despicable manner.
Patrick Phillips