Three Green town councillors join Lib Dems in Helen Morgan’s constituency
News from the Liberal Democrats in North Shropshire:
Three Green Party town councillors in Oswestry have announced their plans to join the Liberal Democrats and support Helen Morgan’s re-election bid later this year.
Councillors Jay Moore (Gatacre), Rosie Radford (Cambrian) and Jonathan Upton (Maserfield) say they want to “put Oswestry first, not narrow party politics” and are making the move as a “positive step” with no ill feeling to their previous party.
The announcement comes two years to the day after Helen Morgan was sworn in as the MP for North Shropshire, after winning a seismic victory over the Conservatives in the December 2021 by-election.
Rosie Radford, Oswestry Town Councillor for Cambrian, said:
This is a really exciting and positive step for Oswestry.
As a councillor, giving people a voice is your top priority. I’m here to listen and understand people’s viewpoints, and to stand up for residents who are too often ignored. For me, joining the Lib Dem team is the best way to do that.
This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is the right one to get the best deal for Oswestry and support Helen – the best MP we’ve ever had – as we head into a general election.
Jay Moore, Oswestry Town Councillor for Gatacre, said:
Anyone paying any attention knows how much work Helen Morgan does for North Shropshire. I really think having more councillors with a direct link to our MP will be a huge benefit for Oswestry.
I’m really excited to be joining her team and standing up for Oswestry residents with a group of local, hard working councillors like James, Rosie and Jonathan.
Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, said:
It is really humbling to have the support of such fantastic local councillors, and to welcome the first Lib Dem council group in Oswestry for nearly fifteen years. The Liberal Democrats really are going from strength to strength across Shropshire.
I know how hard Jay, Rosie and Jonathan work for their residents and their town, and it is fantastic to hear they feel they can get things done for local people as Liberal Democrats.
The councillors will join the town council’s current sole Lib Dem James Owen, who was recently elected by a landslide in the Cambrian ward by-election.
Councillor Owen took 55% of the vote to the Conservatives on 20% and Greens on 15%, in a ward which had voted 52% Green and 48% Conservative at the May 2021 local election.
Meanwhile in Wokingham:
A former Conservative councillor has switched to the Liberal Democrats and added his backing to their candidate for the Wokingham seat in the forthcoming general election.
Marc Brunel-Walker was the executive member on Bracknell Forest Council who helped bring The Lexicon into existence. In all, he was Conservative councillor for our neighbouring local authority for 20 years, before stepping down at last May’s local elections.
He said he was switching parties because he had been impressed with the way in which the Lib Dems had run Wokingham since assuming power in May 2021…
Clive Jones, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Wokingham, said: “Wokingham Without comes into the Wokingham Constituency following changes to election boundaries and it is great that residents like Marc have told me they will be supporting me against John Redwood to be Wokingham’s next MP. [Wokingham Today]
This follows former Conservative councillor Mark Ashwell also switching to the Lib Dems in 2023 and then out-going Conservative councillor Marc Brunel-Walker voting for the Lib Dems in May 2023.
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Now for the big challenge:
The Liberal Democrats would need to gain more seats than the Tories at the next general election so that Ed Davey will become leader of opposition and be able to make the next labour government accountable to the electorate from the official opposition bench.
We can make the changes to a democratic future permanent.
This is a huge task but it is not impossible as shown by the recent 4 bi-elections, but it would require working with the Green party in England and the Plaid Cymru in Wales.
Entirely agree with Ernest, now is our chance.!
Though I am curious that they move parties in the interests of their community and against party politics. That is usually said by someone going Independent..