Former Conservative councillor switches to Lib Dems, standing for election in May

Continue the trends from Greens, Labour and Conservatives:

A former senior Conservative Elmbridge councillor has defected to the Liberal Democrats in the upcoming Surrey County Council elections…

He had chaired both the licensing and planning committees, and was vice chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, as well as a member of the Surrey County Council local committee for Elmbridge.

Mr Elmer did not put his name forward for the 2016 Elmbridge elections last May.

Speaking ahead of his appointment as the Lib Dem candidate for Walton in the May 4 elections, he said: “Here in Surrey I became disillusioned with the Conservative administration while I was still a Conservative Elmbridge Borough Councillor.

“When as a member of the same political group my efforts on behalf of my ward residents were frustrated at every stage, something is very wrong…

“With regard to national events, it was the referendum result to leave the EU and the damaging consequences for our living standards and rights that made me decide that my political allegiance now lay with the Liberal Democrats. [Surrey Comet]