| Wandsworth's most senior Liberal Democrat defects to Labour |
| Thursday, 12 May 2011 00:00 |
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Wandsworth’s most senior Liberal Democrat, Jeremy Ambache, has defected to the Labour Party, after 30 years as a Liberal Democrat member, having been a founding member of the SDP.
He followed the ‘Gang of Four’ – Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, David Owen and Bill Rogers – moving from the Labour party to help found the SDP in 1981. Since then he has been a political activist in Wandsworth, in London and in By-Elections across the UK, standing as a parliamentary candidate in Tooting and Putney. He is the most senior Liberal Democrat in Wandsworth. Jeremy stood for parliament twice, in 1987 for the SDP in Tooting, and 2005 for the Liberal Democrats in Putney. He narrowly missed election to the London Assembly as the 4th on the London wide party list. As a high profile activist Jeremy has been involved in key campaigns locally and nationally, working on Nick Clegg’s leadership and campaign and working as campaign manager for former Richmond MP Susan Kramer in her successful parliamentary bid in 2005 . He has also worked for Ed Davey MP and Dr Evan Harris, former MP. Jeremy helped formulate Lib Dem party policy on the NHS and social care, which was agreed by party conference in 2008. Over the last year he has been an outspoken critic of the coalition government’s proposed NHS changes – which runs counter to the policy that he helped draft. Jeremy Ambache said, “The NHS proposals are muddled; it is unclear as to what problems they are aiming to tackle; and it is uncertain as to what the major reorganisations might actually achieve.” Jeremy Ambache said, “‘I have decided that the Lib Dems have lost their way! The party appears to have lost the commitment to more social equality; and now I think that Ed Milliband’s Labour party is the strongest supporter of a more just society. It a big move for me to leave the Lib Dems and join Labour – but that’s where I feel there will be strongest impetus for a radical realignment of left of centre politics.’ Sadiq Khan MP said, “Over the last year record numbers of local residents have joined the Labour Party. I am really pleased that a senior Liberal Democrat activist like Jeremy, with a huge experience and expertise he has, has made the decision to leave the Liberal Democracts and join Labour. “He is welcomed by the thousands of local residents who are members of the Labour Party. “I look forward to working with Jeremy and other former members of the Liberal Democrats to make our local community better.” |
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