FOUR ex-Tory councillors are standing against their former party in the forthcoming May council elections.
Veteran members Brian Bailey, Andrew Storrar and Barbara Roberts are standing as independents for Cheshire West and Chester Council while Richard Lowe has joined UKIP.
Cllr Bailey, a Conservative councillor for 42 years, is ‘saddened’ at being barred from the selection list following allegations he failed to campaign for the Conservative Party in 2008, when he was Lord Mayor and in the second half of 2010 when his wife Raewyn was suffering from serious back problems.
He says convention has it that the Lord Mayor does not get involved in political campaigning and makes no apology for putting his wife first.
Cllr Bailey will stand against former Tory colleagues, husband and wife team Stuart and Margaret Parker, in the Chester Villages ward.
He said: “I’m not happy with the Conservative Party, quite clearly, I don’t think what’s happening is a reflection of the true nature of the Conservative Party either in the city or nationally.”
Cllr Andrew Storrar will take on former colleague Cllr Brian Crowe when he stands as independent for Saughall and Mollington ward but says there are no ill feelings towards the Conservative Party. He was unable to make the Tory selection meeting due to his planning board commitments but was asked to stand by supporters in the community.
Cllr Barbara Roberts, who failed to be selected as a Conservative candidate, is standing as an independent in the Tarvin and Kelsall ward against Tories Hugo Deynem and John Leather.
Cllr Richard Lowe is standing for UKIP in Garden Quarter ward saying UKIP’s policies are ‘more in tune’ with his own especially on taxation and cutting red tape for business.
