Defector savages LibDems as lacking "common belief, idea or value system"

Cllr Andy Sloan writes for today's Yorkshire Post, explaining why he has left the Liberal Democrats for the Tories:

"Once, I believed that the Liberal Democrat Party possessed a set of values and beliefs that were a genuine and real alternative to the Labour Party. I now realise that view was wrong.

Sadly, the Liberal Democrat Party possesses no common belief, idea or value system to bring them together. There is no sense of principle. There is no common philosophy that drives it. It stands for nothing but the re-election of its own representatives.

Believing and standing for nothing more than re-election of its own representatives manifests itself in a most unattractive manner. It results in lies and deception, a need and willingness to say anything and misrepresent everything.

Nationally, it breaks promises – the decision not to allow a vote on the European Union Treaty was inexcusable. Where I am a councillor in Hull, the same is true. The party could not implement recommendations of its own Independent Flood Review Panel, and continues to hide the truth of its spending plans from the public.

I stood as a Parliamentary candidate in 2005, and the Liberal Democrats national platform was "the real alternative". Looking back, it was a hollow platform then, but it means nothing now 100 days into Nick Clegg's leadership. The Parliamentary party provided no alternative on Europe and it consistently fails to provide an alternative to Labour on all major issues."

Read the full article here.