Angry Lib Dems set up new party at council (From Daily Echo)
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Eastleigh Lib Dem councillors’ rejection of national and local policies
10:50am Thursday 13th January 2011 in News
Councillors Andy Moore(left) and Dave Broughton
A NEW party has emerged in the wings at Eastleigh Borough Council, the Daily Echo can reveal.
Three disaffected Lib Dems have crossed the floor to set up the Independent Group of Eastleigh Councillors while firing shots at their former political allies.
Councillors Andy Moore, Dave Broughton and Glynn Davies-Dear say they are unhappy with the national coalition, the decision on tuition fees and local party politics.
The groups refused to name those they felt were to blame for what they called “a crack in the party” but said others may be set to defect.
The walkout was sparked when the party told Cllr Moore he would not be asked to restand and he lost his appeal against the decision.
He said: “I feel better now the rope has been removed from my neck but mostly I am infuriated and gutted.
“I think some people in the group have a problem with the way I do things which gets things done and commands respect.
“Others may well leave soon too as I know there is a lot of bad feeling about the coalition and our MP who has sold us down the river.”
He went on to say he felt he had been unfairly linked to an incident in which Cllr Broughton was found guilty of bringing the authority into disrepute following an incident in The Litten Tree in Eastleigh.
As reported in the Daily Echo, Cllr Broughton got into a row at the pub after demanding to view admittance figures and when they were refused he is alleged to have said, “I have good friends on the licensing panel and I’m going to see that you have your licence revoked”. Cllr Davies-Dear, a former mayor, said he barely recognises the party he joined 30 years ago.
He said: “I used to say to voters ‘trust me, I’m a Liberal Democrat’ how the hell am I supposed to say that now.
“It’s a matter of integrity, you live and die by it.”
Cllr Broughton was unavailable for comment.
An internal email exclusively leaked to the Daily Echo bans other Lib Dems from talking about this issue publicly.
Leader Keith House said: “We all have to go before the approval board, I have done so myself on numerous occasions.
“They look at your performance and any issues of concern and decide if you are to be asked to stand again.”
The shake-up leaves the ruling Lib Dems with 36 councillors, Tories with four, the new party with three and Labour with one.
Comments(21)
Elgy
says...
11:07am Thu 13 Jan 11
DCM
says...
11:10am Thu 13 Jan 11
southy wrote:This is a purely local issue Southy. Moore and Broughton have been up to no good and have thrown their toys out of the pram. They wouldn't get any publicity if it had stayed local so they now say "we're not happy with the coalition, blah blah blah" to get some atention.
had to be expected to happen, more will follow.
They're like little children.
southy
says...
11:16am Thu 13 Jan 11
DCM wrote:what about those down in exeter.
southy wrote:This is a purely local issue Southy. Moore and Broughton have been up to no good and have thrown their toys out of the pram. They wouldn't get any publicity if it had stayed local so they now say "we're not happy with the coalition, blah blah blah" to get some atention.
had to be expected to happen, more will follow.
They're like little children.
under stand where your coming from lo.
JaneNB
says...
11:51am Thu 13 Jan 11
Will one of these Eastleigh cllrs now tell us the truth about Keith House and his work to push more houses in Hedge End and then claims he is opposed? Something the Echo has failed to look at.
Dasal
says...
11:53am Thu 13 Jan 11
WHAT KIND OF A FATHER REDUCES HIS OWN DAUGHTER TO TEARS?
There is no mention of Moore, but if he was linked to it I presume he was also there.
I,m not Lib-Dem but the party will be all the better without arrogant people like this on their side. I urge the local voters when the elections come around - REMEMBER THIS INCIDENT AND GET RID OF THEM !!!!
Shoong
says...
11:58am Thu 13 Jan 11
Save_Sid
says...
12:11pm Thu 13 Jan 11
So as for these three ex Lib Dems, their chances of ever getting into local politics again is slim to none now that they have been exposed for who they really are and I for one say thank goodness for that.
Yet do not be fooled by the smoke screen of cries injustice and bad form on the part of Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne.. O No.!!
Councillor David Broughton was recently subjected to a standards committee enquiry after walking into the Littern Tree and crying foul when he could not be served for a pint. After being asked to leave and finally escorted from the pub by the local PCSO’s, with comments such as ‘I’ll have this place shut down, I have friends on the licensing committee..’ He was found to have brought the office of councillor into disrupted..
As for Councillor Glynn Davies-Dear, this is a chap who was caught driving a car with no road tax and hauled into Southampton Magistrate Courts and fined for such in 2008. Not forgetting his arrest and questioning by Hampshire Police for an assault on a young female child on Grantham Green. Remember that one..!!
He was deselected as Vice Chairman of the Eastleigh Local Area Committee and has spent his last term with the Lib Dems reduced to no more that a leaflet poster from his own comments.
Now as for councillor Andy Moore.. Moore is shouting the loudest about fair play and morale wrong doing in this sad affair. Yet Mr Moore is the antagonist in this story. I am unable to print the long list of reasons why Mr Moore has been deselected, as he has a very long history of threatening to sue people who revel rather unsavoury aspects of his personal life, and there are a few..
I can however reveal from my own personal experience of this councillor that he has no morals when it comes to making false reports to the Police, causing the local party to break down into infighting and talking complete nonsense at council meetings reducing fellow party members to hide their faces in their hands.
You only have to attend an ELAC meeting to see this first hand. One notable indecent that springs to mind is when he refereed to a black rubbing ground covering on a former child’s play area as Tarmac and refused to concede the point even when his error was pointed out by four of his fellow ELAC members.
I can assure you that whilst I do not hold with the local Lib Dem party, I for one will not shed a tear for these people who have contributed nothing for Eastleigh People and who have first hand allowed an historic borough tree to be felled and permitted building on ‘Public Open Spaces’.
So to Mr House, this is without doubt the best thing you have done for Eastleigh, its people and the local environment and for that and that alone, I take my hat off to you sir..
But only on this matter..!!
Militant Ford Worker
says...
12:45pm Thu 13 Jan 11
As Keith House implies all three were likely targets for deselection for being self serving and generally useless - the other two jumped before they were pushed.
But was there a specific reason Andy Moore was de-selected?
Paramjit Bahia
says...
2:08pm Thu 13 Jan 11
As far as Lib-Dem establishment is concerned they were 'goody-goody' till some of these left and now we are told they were baddies.
I won't say they are bad because I can safely say 'Once a Lib-Dem always will remain a Lib-Dem'. Won't touch Lib-Dems even with a barge pole
Dasal
says...
2:55pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Paramjit Bahia wrote:Or is that "bahji" pole!!!
Hypocrisy and Lib-Dems are the two sides of the same coin. As far as Lib-Dem establishment is concerned they were 'goody-goody' till some of these left and now we are told they were baddies. I won't say they are bad because I can safely say 'Once a Lib-Dem always will remain a Lib-Dem'. Won't touch Lib-Dems even with a barge pole
Please don't take offence Paramjit, just trying to lighten things up !!
Paramjit Bahia
says...
5:12pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Dasal wrote:No offence caused my friend.
Paramjit Bahia wrote: Hypocrisy and Lib-Dems are the two sides of the same coin. As far as Lib-Dem establishment is concerned they were 'goody-goody' till some of these left and now we are told they were baddies. I won't say they are bad because I can safely say 'Once a Lib-Dem always will remain a Lib-Dem'. Won't touch Lib-Dems even with a barge poleOr is that "bahji" pole!!! Please don't take offence Paramjit, just trying to lighten things up !!
I have never been member of PC Brigade.
Condor Man
says...
8:53pm Thu 13 Jan 11
southy
says...
10:22pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Condor Man wrote:great for southampton just look at the total mess its in, they been the worse council in my living memory.
Eastleigh voters should give the Tories a go, it's been great for Southampton.
people should put the torys in the history books and for get about them they are no good for man or beast.
DCM
says...
10:33pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Condor Man wrote:Thank you for making me laugh Condor Man - that is the funniest thing i've read on here in ages.
Eastleigh voters should give the Tories a go, it's been great for Southampton.
Condor Man
says...
11:25pm Thu 13 Jan 11
DCM wrote:how so? are you a Southampton resident? don't you think things have seriously improved since competent people have been making decisions? You obviously don't remember the days of June Bridle
Condor Man wrote:Thank you for making me laugh Condor Man - that is the funniest thing i've read on here in ages.
Eastleigh voters should give the Tories a go, it's been great for Southampton.
Elgy
says...
12:16pm Fri 14 Jan 11
annie romaine
says...
1:35pm Sat 15 Jan 11
Save_Sid
says...
5:06am Mon 17 Jan 11
I have it first hand that all three of these 'so called' councillors and defenders of all this right and proper had been in talks with the Eastleigh Labour party about coming under the Labour banner..
An idea that the local Labour Party rejected out of hand, given that one of these three is awaiting trail and is on court bail..
Interesting..!!
ameliaS
says...
7:51pm Thu 20 Jan 11
pete luffman
says...
11:41am Tue 1 Feb 11
southy says...
11:00am Thu 13 Jan 11