A LEADING Liberal Democrat politician has quit the party and accused it of being 'disorganised and out of touch'.
Karen Wright, 46, launched the broadside as she defected to Labour.
She was Lib Dem leader on Tameside council and a councillor in Audenshaw for 12 years before stepping down ahead of the local elections last year.
Ms Wright made headlines in 2006 when former partner and fellow Audenshaw councillor Peter Wright, was jailed for assaulting her.
He was later exposed as a dog-of-war, with a history of violence who spent years in jail for mercenary activities in Angola.
She has defected just days after Paul Moss, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Denton, also joined Labour.
Explaining her decision to quit the Lib Dems, Ms Wright said: "The timing of my move was always going to be difficult but, the failure of the Lib Dems to put forward a candidate in the by-election in Denton North East was the final straw for me.
"While I've always believed in positive campaigning and have no interest in slating my old party, it's become obvious to me that the Lib Dems in Tameside have become disorganised and are now showing little sign of understanding what local people need."
A north west Liberal Democrat spokesman said it had supported Ms Wright through her relationship problems and thanked her for her service.
He said: "We are disappointed that Karen has chosen to join the Denton and Reddish Labour Party at a time when the Liberal Democrats, who run Stockport council, have just received the strong backing of many local people with the Lib Dems topping the poll in the European Elections across Stockport."
Denton and Reddish Labour MP Andrew Gwynne said: "I admire Karen's courageous and principled decision to join the Labour Party."
The Lib Dems do not have any seats on Labour controlled Tameside council.
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Former councillor quits Lib Dems
July 14, 2009
Councillor Karen Wright
Showing comments 1 to 13 and replies | View All
FrostySnowman (14/07/2009 at 07:56)
Out of the frying pan....
Voter (14/07/2009 at 08:17)
In Bolton I know no one who intends to vote for the old dead parties.
who said that, Salford (14/07/2009 at 09:05)
Of Denton, Tameside (14/07/2009 at 09:30)
Tameside Hospital is known locally as Deathside, and the police are not being funded to the levels needed by the Labour Government to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. James Purnell has been shamed by his expenses and Andrew Gwynne has chosen to put his career and party above the needs of the people whom elected him - have you seen how Reddish is rotting? Have you seen all the stories about Tameside Hospital? Have you seen how a notorious Moss Side gang controls the Tameside drug scene? Have you seen how two people have been shot? Have you seen how there have been two incidents where knife wielding thugs tried to break in to peoples homes? Have you seen the rise in the BNP vote (not endorsed by me)? LAbour will be extinct in TAmeside after the next election and Ms Wright will feel very foolish indeed!!
Elliott Pest, Newton, Nr. Hyde. (14/07/2009 at 12:59)
Karen is the leader of the disorganised out of touch brigade.
Never mind, she'll be back doing house keeping come the next local elections.
micki, Weaste (14/07/2009 at 14:42)
J.Hall, Tameside (14/07/2009 at 17:10)
The only reason a move to Labour would be advantageous,is not out of consideration for the public,but to get sticky fingers on the £million plus expenses,a role in the Cabinet,and a place on a Committee,plus the Councillors entitlements plus the odd favour from R.Oldham
In other words feathering your nest by being together as birds of a feather.
Andrew Gwynne mentions courageous,what a load of sh--- when courageous is also being applied today to the 8 dead Military youngsters fighting a bloody war on behalf of the Labour Party who conned the world and invaded Iraq for Oil.
Do not utter courageous Gwynne its an affront and totally discredits what being courageous is,but of course thats something you know nowt about.
Ace , manchester (14/07/2009 at 17:35)
citycentre, manchester (14/07/2009 at 18:23)
like churchill?
tony (14/07/2009 at 22:35)
In other words......they are all in it for their own self-serving needs.
Even the leader of UKIP has been caught out. £2million in 'expenses' he has claimed since going on the Brussels gravy-train. And don't mention the fruitcakes of the Greens. Its leader is on record as saying 'those who who fly abroad on holiday are on a par with thugs who stab people.'
Who does this leave?
J.Hall, Tameside (15/07/2009 at 09:01)
Almost all politicians are on the gravy train becaquse its them who make the decisions.
When Councils and MP`s defend their rip off salaries and expenses they always refer to an independent committee having come up with the ammounts,but they never say that they themselves have the deciding vote on whether its suitable,so how many times before they accept their annual increases do they reject what a so-called independent is suggesting,well you will never know, until the Committee come up with what Councillors actually want.The Commmittee are a smoke screen.and just check who THEY are,simply puppets og the regime.
We have more mafia type run groups in hundreds of Councils than in Italian politics but in this particular case in the MEN I have had dealings with those referrred to and because of my continued monitoring I no longer am represented according to events by my MP or Councillors,and thats a fact which the MEN might well block,but I have the correspondence to confirm that.
Nikki Watts (16/07/2009 at 17:59)
Karen Wright (17/07/2009 at 13:21)
Karen Wright