Taunton Cllr joins Labour
Somerset West & Taunton Cllr Martin Peters has changed parties. He was elected in 2019 as a LibDem candidate for Manor & Tangier Ward.
He won the seat with 39% of the vote, 94 votes ahead of second placed Independent, Ian Morrell.
Talking about changing parties he said: “The Liberal Democrats haven’t made much progress nationally in the 7 years, since it suffered a disastrous defeat in 2015. The party has basically continued in the same vein and is mainly just a repository for anti-Tory votes in some areas. I’m now unclear where the party is either more liberal or has better economic policies.”
Cllr Peters has history with the Labour Party too. He adds: “I was a member from 1983-2008. In 1997 I campaigned in Bristol for Labour and I now expect to do the same again. I am happy that the Labour Party is now essentially to the left of New Labour but clearly to the right of its position under Jeremy Corbyn. “
Cllr Peters will now sit with the Labour Group at SWT. However there are only a few weeks left before the council is abolished. As Cllr peters did not stand for the Somerset Unitary elections, he will cease to be a councillor at the end of March.
Well done the current LibDems are a disgrace and Labour have managed to extricate themselves from the mire created by Corbyn and his lackeys so now can offer a realistic alternative though I doubt this will convert voters in this area to support labour in a significant scale .