Finchampstead South ward councillor Cllr Ian Pittock made the dramatic move at a Wokingham Borough Council full council meeting

Finchampstead South ward councillor Cllr Ian Pittock made the dramatic move at a Wokingham Borough Council full council meeting last Thursday.

Cllr Pittock stood up at the end and revealed to his colleagues he was resigning from the Conservative Party with immediate effect and joining the Liberal Democrats.

Cllr Ian Pittock, Finchampstead South ward councillor, said: "There is no secret in the fact that I have had many differences of opinion with my own Conservative Group for some time. There are many good members in the Conservative group, however, they are required to adhere to the wishes of a clique that promotes unnecessary politicisation, obsessive secrecy, playing at consultations, side-lining backbenchers, restricting the number of council meetings, lack of financial transparency and accountability and over use of patronage provided by the allowance system to name some.

"In addition, colleagues who know me well will tell you that I have had increasing difficulty with the EU Referendum and the fall-out from this. The restricted franchise, totally ignoring the 48 per cent, placing everything in the hands of the far-right wing of the party, ignoring that this is about the 30 to 40 years future of the young, not the old; Teresa May would do well to listen to Sir John Major on this aspect.

"As we learn more about the risks and likely downsides involved with a ‘hard Brexit’ or ‘Brexit at any cost’, this is increasingly making the Charge of the Light Brigade look like a sensible, well-planned and executed operation. I can no longer support a Prime Minister nor her party that is taking this dogmatic approach.

"I am a progressive, a passionate progressive. I want change, but the type of change which I have come to understand, through time and trial, that the Conservatives are institutionally unable to provide since they continually pander to their own far-right interests."

Leader of the Lib Dems Lindsay Ferris said: "It is clear that the tide is turning and more and more people are seeing that the Conservatives are letting down the residents of Wokingham Borough. The February by-election in Emmbrook showed the strength of local residents’ feelings, as the Lib Dems took the seat from the Conservatives with a 696 majority."

Keith Baker, leader of the Conservatives, said: "For some time now  Cllr Pittock has been out of step with the Conservative Group in many ways so it was not a surprise to me that he decided to leave the Conservative Party and join the Liberal Democrats. It is less than twelve months since he was re-elected as a Conservative for Finchampstead South and it is unfortunate that he did not decide where his political allegiance lay before he stood as a Conservative candidate.

"Some will argue he should step down and fight a by election under his new colours but that is totally down to Cllr Pittock's own conscience whether he does or not. I wish him well with his new friends."