Now, reports Birmingham Live, she wants to join the Liberal Democrats and fight a parliamentary seat for us:
A Labour councillor in Wolverhampton has landed herself in hot water with senior party bosses after attempting to jump ship and join the city's Liberal Democrats, it was revealed this week.
Celia Hibbert, who represents Penn ward, had a meeting with the chair of Wolverhampton Lib Dems Julian Donald on August 10, to ask about joining the party and sitting as a councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate.
The website has the minutes of the Lib Dem meeting where Hibbert's approached was discussed and also a statement from the party:
Cllr Hibbert approached us a couple of weeks ago to arrange a meeting to explore the possibility of her joining the Liberal Democrats and sitting as a Lib Dem councillor. We agreed to meet with her and following this meeting, the local party has decided not to move forward with any arrangement with Cllr Hibbert. We believe that she does not share the Liberal values needed to be a member of this party - let alone to sit as a councillor - and that is our reasoning for not moving forward with her.
This is not the first time Hibbert has shown signs of wanting to leave the Labour Party. In October 2021 it was reported that she had been suspended following allegations that she planned to join the Conservatives.
If she does finally make her escape, she won't be the first recent Labour candidate for Harborough to quit the party. Sundip Meghani was their standard bearer at the 2015 general election. In 2020 he joined the Tories.
6 comments:
Something rotten lurks in the Harboro Labour party, Quits and joins the Cons!Another wants to join LibDems!You have mentioned that the Conservatives are gaining strength in the area.Is that the consequences of the Labour chap teaching them how to campaign?How can we make this turn to our advantage?
The Tories are gaining in the city of Leicester, but they lost control of Harborough District Council in May.
Celia dyed her hair to fit in with party branding colours but it still wasn't enough. Gah!
I find it encouraging that we are doing due diligence and not just accepting anyone who decides to jump ship and join us.
I can't comment on this particular councillor, as I don't know her. However, in that frenzied summer of 2019 the Lib Dems were desperately seeking to recruit MPs prepared to defect to the party. Several did so, but most were either just looking for a political liferaft or seeking a temporary protest vehicle, to score a point against their old party. I'm not sure that any are still actively working for the party. A degree of caution in these circumstances may often be wise.
Our GLA list included one candidate who had been a Tory, left the Tory Party, joined us and when he came bottom of the list has left us. So I wouldn't be too optimistic about the level of due diligence in the Party.
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