I did think your comments were petty, and I disagree with you that I was elected as a Conservative. If that’s the basis upon which people choose to vote, that is their error: voters are not voting for the Conservative Party or for David Cameron, or Neil Parkin, even — they are voting for the person and that is how our democracy is designed (if ‘designed’ is the right word — I refer you to previous posts where I highlight the flawed system we have with the head of government being entirely unelected).

I was surprised at your comments not least because the £20,000+ cost of holding a by-election is significantly larger than the Members Allowances I have supposedly accepted while I missed a couple (okay, four) meetings, and that your party’s press release suggested I refund (and which ignored the fact that a large number of Conservative Councillors had a worse attendance record than Carl English).

So if it would be unreasonable to hold a by-election for the sake of cost, the other alternative would be to sit quietly until the next election making no impact at Council meetings (as most Conservative Councillors sincerely cannot because of the party whip) and betraying my beliefs and the public who provided me their mandate.

Finally, don’t you agree that my decision must be on the basis of principle in order for me to move from the party that is overwhelmingly in power in Adur and that is widely predicted to beat Labour at the next election, to join a party in third place (currently) nationally and with only one Councillor at Adur? I could understand the behaviour of my colleagues in this respect if I had gone the other way.

The moral high-ground was mostly surrendered by another who spoke out of turn and in conflict with the Council’s constitution and caused our Chairman to mouth me an apology!

Again, in earlier posts, I have referred to a number of Councillors who do a good job and who deserve, on a personal level, the trust the public places in them. Of course my own judgements in this regard, could be as out-of-line as some Conservative Councillors’ opinions of me are, but you were one of those to whom I referred.

Quite honestly, I have absolutely no issue with your apparent epiphany (misguided though I believe it is); freedom of expression, belief and political view are pretty much absolute to my mind and if you believe the Lib Dems are your cup of tea, that is entirely fine by me. I could almost go as far as respecting your decision to ‘defect’ but for one, in my view overwhelming, reason. Integrity.

You may consider my ‘digs’ yesterday were petty but, and this is where I am afraid given your actions, it is obvious we disagree, I sincerely believe that in not resigning and allowing the electorate the opportunity to make a choice, you have further damaged the already low opinion the electorate have of politicians at all levels of government.

You were elected by the people of Buckingham ward as a representative of the Conservative party, and we have to be bluntly honest here, such is the beauty of local politics it seems unlikely you were alone, but you won because you were wearing a blue rosette.

It is my personal view that ‘ratting’ is dishonourable (and I accept that as a ‘ratter’ you are in distinguished company – although it has to be said that Winston saw the light and ‘re-ratted’) and betrays the trust given to you by the electorate.

I regret therefore, and I sincerely do regret, that unless and until you grant the electorate of Buckingham the opportunity to judge you in black and orange, the moral legitamacy of your position as an elected representative is, to my mind, in question.

I have absolutely no doubt that we can work together in a constructive manner, if and when you have been elected as a Liberal Democrat Councillor.

Angus