Labour members defect to the Liberal Democrats in Birmingham Hodge Hill

9.00.00pm GMT Sun 9th Jan 2005

Labour members defect to the Liberal Democrats in Birmingham Hodge Hill

At a packed meeting at the Gables Hotel this evening a number of key Labour party campaigners publicly announced their decision to leave the Labour Party and join the Liberal Democrats. Mohammed Nawaz, a Labour Party member for over a decade, and Zafar Iqbal, a key activist in Washwood Heath and Hodge Hill, are amongst a group of six former Labour party members joining the growing Liberal Democrat Party in Hodge Hill.

Mohammed Nawaz said "I have taken the decision to leave the Labour Party and join the Liberal Democrats. I feel let down by the Labour Party and Tony Blair. The Labour Party no longer represents my views."

Councillor Tariq Khan, member for Washwood, commented "People have lost their trust in Tony Blair and are disillusioned with the Labour Party. We will all be campaigning hard to win Hodge Hill at the General Election."

Nicola Davies, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Hodge Hill said "I warmly welcome the new members to the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats in Hodge Hill are continuing to grow in strength and numbers. With each week that passes more and more people are losing trust in Labour and looking to the Liberal Democrats as the Party of the future."

The Liberal Democrats narrowly missed out on winning the Birmingham Hodge Hill Parliamentary Seat in last July's by-election, by just 460 votes. They will be looking to gain the seat at the forthcoming General Election, with just a swing of 1% needed to win it is considered one of the top targets in Birmingham along with Birmingham Yardley.