Conservatives could take over Brighton & Hove City Council as Labour councillor defects

A Brighton Labour councillor has defected to the Tories – a move which could hand control of the local authority to the Conservatives.
Cllr Mary Mears, chair of Brighton Kemptown Conservatives, with Cllr Anne Meadows, who has defected to the Tories from Labour  (Credit: Kemptown Conservatives)Cllr Mary Mears, chair of Brighton Kemptown Conservatives, with Cllr Anne Meadows, who has defected to the Tories from Labour  (Credit: Kemptown Conservatives)
Cllr Mary Mears, chair of Brighton Kemptown Conservatives, with Cllr Anne Meadows, who has defected to the Tories from Labour (Credit: Kemptown Conservatives)

Brandon Lewis, chairman of the Conservative Party, announced the news this morning (February 20) on Twitter, and said: "Delighted to welcome former Labour Cllr Anne Meadows to @Conservatives."

He said that Cllr Meadows 'has been a dedicated councillor in Brighton & Hove since 1994' but he claimed she has been 'driven out' by alleged antisemitism.

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Cllr Meadows was not reselected to stand in her Moulsecoomb and Bevendean ward for Labour in the upcoming May 2019 council elections, but she will now stand as a Conservative.

Cllr Meadows said “I am delighted that I have been so warmly accepted into the Conservative family, having spent most of my life as a Labour member and councillor.

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"Leaving the Labour Party was not an easy decision for me, but today’s Labour Party is not one I recognise, nor the one I joined many years ago.

"I want to continue to represent residents in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean in the most effective way possible, and I believe to achieve this it has to be as a Conservative Councillor.”

Cllr Mary Mears, chairman of Brighton Kemptown Conservatives, said: “I have known Anne for many years on Brighton and Hove City Council and have seen how hard and determined she is in representing her residents.

"I know that we are gaining a very hard working and well-respected councillor throughout the city, and look forward to working with Anne to improve the lives of all who live in Brighton and Hove.”

But not all were happy with the move.

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Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown said: "This is nothing but a barefaced career move from Anne, she wasn't selected to be a candidate for Labour at the upcoming election, so she has betrayed the party for her own self preservation."

Labour council leader Daniel Yatessaid he was 'extremely disappointed' by the news.

The council is currently run by a Labour minority administration, but the Conservatives could now attempt to take control of the local authority.

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A Brighton & Hove City Council spokesperson said: "Councillor Anne Meadows has announced today that she is leaving the Labour Group and joining the Conservative Group. This changes the balance of seats held on the council.

"The current political leadership arrangements continue for now. Under our constitution, any change in leadership can only take effect following a decision at a meeting of the Full Council when all currently elected councillors agree who forms the administration and who is voted to be leader of the council. Councillors decide whether and at which meeting the business is discussed.

"Subject to the will of councillors, the day to day operation of services to the public will remain unchanged in the short term. Council officers will continue to use their delegated powers to ensure a consistent service."

The Conservative Party now has 21 councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council and Labour has 20.

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There are also 11 Green councillors, one independent (formerly Labour) and one vacancy (formerly Labour).

All 54 seats will be up for grabs in the council election in May 2019.