Haringey Council leader: 'Surprised and disappointed' by Labour defection (From Haringey Independent)

Haringey Council leader: 'Surprised and disappointed' by Labour defection

11:29am Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

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HARINGEY Council leader Claire Kober has said she is surprised and disappointed by Alan Dobbie's defection to the Conservative Party.

Ms Kober said: "I'm surprised and disappointed that Alan has chosen to join the Conservative Party.

"This is a party that has been roundly rejected by the people of Haringey and failed to elect a single councillor in the borough since 1998. At the last local elections they secured less than 10 per cent of the vote in Noel Park."

She added: "The Tories haven't changed. They continue to be the party who care very little for our public services. They have opposed the creation of a national minimum wage, starved our public services of cash, voted against almost all of Labour's equality legislation, including the abolition of section 28, and are now proposing to abolish universal child benefit."

Following his defection, Mr Dobbie said he had been "uncomfortable for months" being a member of the Labour Party and was convinced that Labour had lost touch with ordinary people.

Mr Dobbie said: “I want a better future for Haringey and Britain. The Conservatives under David Cameron’s leadership have recognised past mistakes and made real changes.

"I want to be a part of that progressive Conservative alliance which will help the residents of Noel Park and the country that I am not ashamed to say that I love."

Mr Dobbie's defection now means the Tories have their first seat in the council chamber in seven years.

The last Tory councillor in Haringey was Peter Forrest who represented Highgate ward between 1994 and 2002.

Mr Dobbie will stand for his seat at the next local elections as a Tory candidate.