First Liberal Democrat defection in Liverpool since formation of the coalition
Liverpool Labour leader Joe Anderson welcomes defecting Liberal Democrat Ian Jobling.
Last month Liberal Democrat leader in Liverpool Warren Bradley warned that the coalition would wreck his party and that many of his number were contemplating defecting.
And so today Ian Jobling has become the first to cross the floor in Liverpool.
The Picton ward councillor, who also sits on the police authority, says he can't stomach the coalition's cuts.
They go against the manifesto he protests and says that his values are Labour values.
He is not a big figure on the city council, and as such does not come with political baggage that some of his former colleagues might have. He should have no problems fitting in on the Labour benches.
Despite the fact he is not a household name, his defection is important none the less. Cllr Jobling may well be the first of a number.
Some in his former party will question his motives - his former Lib-Dem colleague in Picton Laurence Sidorczuk lost his seat at this year's election to Labour's Tim Beaumont. The tide would seem to be turning in Picton, as it is in a number of wards.
His defection also continues the erosion of Lib-Dem numbers that looks likely to continue with the impending double byelection in Croxteth.
Labour held one, and the Lib-Dems the other seat. Labour are confident of taking both, and privately Lib-Dems believe that holding on will be difficult.
So if they lose both the make up of the city council will look like this: Labour 50, Liberal Democrats 35, Liberals 3, Green 2.
But the timing of the announcement of Cllr Jobling's defection would seem slightly strange, given that the Lib-Dem's conference is being held next month here in Liverpool.
Has Labour council leader Joe Anderson got someone else lined up to defect?
The Lib-Dem conference promises to be more fractious than normal. If Cllr Anderson could unveil a second defector before the conference it would certainly spice things up a little bit.
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David Bartlett
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A second defector? Tom Morrison? Please God, make it be Sharon Green rather than that. And talking of Sharon Green - as everyone isn't - what ever became of that much-trumpeted LibDem inquiry into her appalling Facebook entry? Did I miss the outcome? Or are the LibDems treating her behaviour like they treated that of the criminal Steve Hurst? Any news, Tom? You seem well up on these matters.
My main problem with defections is that they're so anti-democratic. A certain to large proportion of the electorate will have voted for the Liberal Democrat party rather than the person, enough that there was a majority in his constituency and now its as though they voted for a party which is ideologically alien to them. I've always said in these situations that if a counsellor (or MP) wants to defect that it should immediately trigger a by-election in that constituency, so that the people get another chance to decide.
If there was a by election in Picton. Labour would win by about 2000 votes as any reasonable person would admit.
So it would make little difference
All the sensible lib dem (former voters) I know admit this readily
Obvioulsy sensible Lib dem excludes most of their Cllrs.
@Stuart Ian Burns: 'Councillor' is what Jobling is. 'Counsellor' is what many LibDems need. There's a difference. Go check.
@Brian Lewis: maybe Labour will win in 2011. But here's a question for you. Who should be Labour's candidate? Should it be a hard-working candidate who lost in 2010? Or the flooring-crossing Jobling? What will Joe decide?
Ronnie
Labour won the seat in 2010! So hardworking losing candidates will not come into it!
New candidate needed for 11!
Brian Lewis is over-optimistic about the 2000 majority and these "reasonable people" must be all Labour Party supporters. Labour won Picton in 2010 because of the increased turnout for the General Election which, then, pushed up the Labour vote for the Council election. Same thing happened in '79 which Labour won. The fact is that the Lib Dems have won Picton every council election since. It's not a typical Labour ward, never has been, never will be. Labour might think it's in the bag whoever they decide to select [probably already having done a deal with Ian Jobling] but it's far too soon to make these kind of predictions.
I thought we may have seen the last of the laughable argument that the Lib dem lost as too many people voted but it seems not.
Before the election Bradley actually argured in the echo this would not be a factor and then on May7th argued it was the reason they lost. :)
Would labourwatcher like less people to vote in May 11. A simple yes or no will suffice?
I thought we may have seen the last of the laughable argument that the Lib dem lost as too many people voted but it seems not.
Before the election Bradley actually argured in the echo this would not be a factor and then on May7th argued it was the reason they lost. :)
Would labourwatcher like less people to vote in May 11. A simple yes or no will suffice?
@Brian Lewis: yes, I know Labour won Picton in 2010 - which is why I chose my words carefully, referring to 'a hard-working candidate' not 'the hard-working candidate'. You appear to endorse my point: Labour's candidate in Picton for 2011 should be a 'new candidate', not the floor-crosser Jobling who is up for re-election. Or would you rather not be drawn on the matter? Before commenting, it's worth remembering that Jobling was one of those woman-hating & anti-semitic bile-throwers who were clustered around Eldridge, Morrison and the infantile Makinson last May. And despite his support for the police now, I don't recall him denouncing the criminal Steve Hurst.
Jobling is, and will be, a complete non-entity in Labour as he was in the Lib-Dems. Apart from taking Picton for granted, all he was ever interested in was getting the jobs with the biggest allowances like the Police Authority. He never did anything worthwhile in his time on the Council and would have been kicked out next May anyway. All that stuff about resigning because of the cuts to the Police budget is a load of bollo**s. He went the same way as Beatrice - pure greed and self-interest to save his political skin and allowances. A man without any principles or political conviction. You're welcome to him, Joe. Good riddance.
@Defector: "Jobling...a man without any principles or political conviction". Yet 34 years, a LibDem. Who'd have thought it!
Does Ronnie actually have a life? He seems to be on here loads...
No one missing you at home Ronnie?
"one of those woman-hating & anti-semitic bile-throwers who were clustered around Eldridge, Morrison and the infantile Makinson"
Hahahahahahaha! Nice one there Ronnie; it's so obvious you're Labour, you sound exactly like them; not even half-truths you say... ALL UTTER LIES!
Yes, you are definitely Labour.
I approve with Ronniewatcher... you should really get a life :)
Oo, jolly good! I seem to have attracted a fan club. No wonder Daily Post sales are down to 8,000 per day, but online readers have risen to 15,000 - it's all the little LibDem boys flocking to shout abuse at me!