A LEADING Liberal Democrat has quit the party. Karen Wright, 46, has defected to Labour.
She was Lib Dem leader on Tameside council and a councillor in Audenshaw for 12 years before stepping down ahead of 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 switched just days after Paul Moss, Lib Dem 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 Liberal Democrat spokesman thanked her for her service.
Denton and Reddish Labour MP Andrew Gwynne said: "I admire Karen’s courageous and principled decision to join the Labour party."
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J.Hall, Tameside (15/07/2009 at 18:43)
All these soldiers were referred to as being courageous throughout the media, which they certainly were,but for Mr Gwynne to use the same courageous word description for an Ex Liberal who obviously prefers to join the ruling group and enjoy its known benefits really denotes the Labour Party using a "hit word"
which demeans the role played by our young soldiers,sent there by the Labour Government as they did with the Iraq issue under false pretences.
An apology from Mr.Gwynne for the missuse of Courageous is needed.
Careless Whisper (15/07/2009 at 19:00)
Anyway. Cheer up.Could of been worse. At least she didn't defect to the BNP.
james kingston (21/07/2009 at 20:55)
I really don't care one way or the other about using the word courageous - what is courageous about going to a foreign country and imposing our norms on it, what is courageous about being unable to complete your education that the only option left open is the army, what is courageous about always taking orders from someone, what is courageous about never questioning your motive or superiors?
Were we looking at any other conflict and saying "they only followed orders" then we enter the mentality of Nazi germany.
No one should be at "war", no one should have their life cut short and no one should be decribed as courageous for taking the easy option.
More courage to those who oppose this and other conflicts and refuse to do "what they are told" - courage? no - stupid? perhaps - pitiable - certainly.
Rest in peace - but don't make martyrs of our alientated young men - they are cannon fodder - nothing more.