Eastleigh Labour PPC resigns and backs Chris Huhne

Dan Clarke writes on Labourhome:

It is with great sadness that I have decided to resign as a Labour PPC and a Labour Party member. My period as a PPC has been difficult to say the least and I have spent much of it wrestling with internal problems in my CLP and attempting to defend government policies which, in my eyes, are becoming increasingly indefensible ...

Unfortunately, I no longer believe the Labour Party is committed to realising the dreams of people like me. The Labour Party's actions and policies today seem to be aimed more towards gaining petty advantages over opponents than towards achieving the ideals of its supporters. Brown's leadership is becoming a depiction of politics for its own sake.

He concludes:

I will leave the Labour Party and I am joining the Liberal Democrats. At the next election I will back Chris Huhne. Eastleigh is a two horse race, between Chris who has a proven record as a progressive politician and a hard worker for Eastleigh or Maria Hutchings, who - whatever her personal qualities - supports right wing reactionary policies on Europe, immigration and local issues.

I want to be a political activist who works for what is right. I have concluded that joining the Liberal Democrats will allow me to do this. Time and again, I have found myself thinking that Chris Huhne is right on issues as varied as Trident, Climate Change, the economy and civil liberties whilst the government is wrong on them.

Rather than standing against him, I will be voting for Chris at the next General Election.

A good end to what has turned out to be Chris Huhne week on Liberal England.