Three Halton Lib Dem councillors quit party in protest over coalition

Sep 2 2010 by Oliver Clay, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

THREE Halton councillors have resigned as Liberal Democrats in protest at the party’s coalition with the Conservatives.

Cllrs Bob Bryant, Peter Blackmore and Chris Carlin will now serve as independents until their terms are up.

Meanwhile, they are ‘considering their options’, over whether to form their own party or leave politics at the next election.

The departures mean a quarter of the borough’s Lib Dems have turned their backs on the Cameron-Clegg coalition. They join Mike Shepherd who resigned as Windmill Hill’s Lib Dem councillor.

On Tuesday the four defectors, who all represent Runcorn wards, said the party had become ‘nodding dogs for the Tories’.

The four said they are unhappy with cuts to public services and benefits, which they claimed are hitting Halton’s poorest hardest.

Cllr Blackmore said he ‘can’t look people in the eye’ because of slashed public funds.

The trio said their gripes are with the national Lib Dem party, not Halton’s members.

Cllr Carlin, of Mersey ward, added that having a coalition in power with one party dominated by the other, means democracy has been compromised.

They are also unhappy that Lib Dem manifesto pledges have been abandoned or adapted to a Tory agenda. These include abolishing student fees, which has been replaced with a campaign for a student tax; a campaign for proportional representation – swapped for the alternative voting system; and an affordable housing programme, which they said has been dropped.

Cllr Blackmore said: “I haven’t been happy since the coalition was formed, but thought ‘I’ll give them a chance’. But I can’t see any good it’s done for Mersey ward.

“The top earners are paying out more in actual cash and tax, but those at the bottom are losing more in percentage terms.”

Chris Carlin added: “If people have housing benefits cut, they can’t pay the rent.”

A Halton Liberal Democrats spokesperson said the ‘door is still open’ for the rebels to reconsider, and urged them to attend the party conference in Liverpool to discuss their concerns with ministers.

She said: “We are deeply disappointed that Peter, Bob, and Chris have decided to leave.”