David Minnery, who represents Market Drayton West on Shropshire Council, has joined the Liberal Democrat group on the authority.
Cllr Minnery, was leader of the Independent group on the council, previously served as the Conservative cabinet member for finance. He now feels that the Conservatives have "lost control" of the county finances.
He says his decision has been influenced by a desire to support Helen Morgan, the Lib Dem MP for North Shropshire, and his view that the Lib Dems need to win a majority and "get the change Shropshire needs" in next May’s council election.
At this month's general election, the Lib Dems polled more votes than any other party across the three Shropshire constituencies.
Thanks to Mark Pack for the story. As a former councillor for Market Harborough North, I feel some affinity with David Minnery.
7 comments:
I assume he meant a desire to support Helen Morgan. Very understandable if so.
He did indeed. Thank you.
Is there a wider story about the success of Shropshire Liberal Democrats? There doesn't seem to be a clear demographic background, and the by-election doesn't seem a sufficient explanation, either. Is it just a happy combination of smart activists, or is something else going on? Liberal England seems the place to ask!
I've not been to Shropshire for years - something I'm soon to put right - but there was concern about the NHS even in the days when I did visit regularly. This is reflected in an article Martin Kettle wrote during the general election.
Beyond that, I suspect it's a case of success breeding success, but I will tweet your enquiry and see what replies I get.
Looking in from afar, I would say Shropshire is similar in character to other rural remote locations where the Lib Dems do well - Cornwall, Cumbria, Northern Scotland. Either the people here feel overlooked or they're dealing with issues connected to being a tourist destination - low wage hospitality sector jobs, high property costs etc.
Instinctively the party 'gets' these areas and the kind of issues that people will face there, and because we never take success for granted high engagement plays well in places where the Tories also win seats/councils but don't put the same effort in.
May I be so bold in saying that there's an outstanding group of individuals in the local party - Helen Morgan, Matthew Green, David Walker and David Vasmer who come across as particularly switched on, especially compared to certain other local groups that aren't in target seats/councils and aren't that active, externally.
Thank you messers Calder and Pennell, what an effective service Liberal England provides! The Martin Kettle piece has some good observations, although I'm not sure that 'Middle England' takes us very far analytically in this case, because Shropshire is so unusual in having become so strong for the Lib Dems. I guess, Matt, that being somewhat remote is part of this, but unlike Cornwall and Northern Scotland there is not a decades-long liberal tradition in Shropshire. The three best comparators, I think, are Westmorland & Lonsdale, North Norfolk, and Berwick-upon-Tweed. In all I'm sure that a critical mass of good activists must have been crucial, allowing success to build success. But does this just mean good luck about personalities? Is this why we re-took North Norfolk, and are now fourth in North Northumberland (successor seat to B-upon-T)? And what about 'remote' areas outside southern England without much liberal success, e.g. Lincolnshire, and most of the rest of rural midland and northern England? Sorry this has all become rather long. Thanks! Anonymous no. 2 (aka Anselm Anon)
p.s. One further thought: have the Greens done something similar in North Herefordshire and Waveney Valley?
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