Tory County Councillor joins LibDems

12.00.00am GMT Thu 3rd Mar 2005

Worcestershire County Councillor, Mrs. Joy Bushby MBE recently resigned from the Conservative Party and joined the Liberal Democrats. Councillor Bushby said "I have been considering this move for a long time. When Blair took us into an illegal war in Iraq, the Tories were far from blameless. Indeed the vast majority of Conservatives voted in favour of fighting. The Liberal Democrats seemed to be the lone voice of reason against the war.

"Michael Howard's latest service-slashing budget was the last straw. Not only is this a deeply unrealistic option, it is a brash attempt to buy votes from the rich at the expense of the needy. The Liberal Democrat pre-manifesto is the most sensible political statement I have read for a long time, offering real-world solutions that are viable, down-to-earth, and properly costed."

Councillor Bushby's statement reflects the belief of many Conservatives that their party has no hope of winning the forthcoming general election or public support for their policies. At County Council level, Tories are more concerned with trimming a few percent off Council Tax, rather than addressing the needs of local communities. They criticise inevitable Council Tax rises, but seem wedded to Michael Howard's unfair tax, rather than adopting a fairer solution based on people's ability to pay, as proposed by the Liberal Democrats.