A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Not so Shortly Floorcross

It must be quite embarrassing to have your political opponents stand up in Full Council and reveal to your side that you asked to defect but they turned down your kind offer.

Up in Haringey Nick Clegg was dealt a blow last night when it was revealed that his Adviser on Interfaith and Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism had tried to defect to the Labour Party, but had his advances rejected. Cllr Fiyaz Mughal, Lib Dem Councillor for Noel Park, made several attempts during Brian Paddick’s Mayoral campaign to co-ordinate a defection to the Labour benches. Cllr Mughal even tried to speak to Ministers after the local Labour Party refused to accept him.

Haringey Labour tell me they were very clear – he did not share Labour politics or values, and had a poor attendance record, so we rejected his offer. Well done to Haringey Labour for not taking an easy political gain at a difficult time in their borough but doing the right thing.

17 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

You've got to question Clegg-over's judgement, selecting someone that plots a defection as his 'Adviser on Interfaith and Preventing Radicalisation'. Check out Fiyaz's website for lots of pics of him with the Lib Dem leadership: http://fiyazmughal.org.uk/index.html

5:32 pm, January 19, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And now turncoat Hayley has defected to the Lib Dems. All because he didn't get reselected by Labour

7:17 pm, January 19, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mughal also tried to join the Tories, but apparently they rejected him as well.
What a plonker! Clegg should boot him out.

8:30 pm, January 19, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He wasn't Clegg's adviser when he attempted to join Labour, and given Labour cllrs have only just revealed this 'secret', makes you wonder why they said nothing at the time

9:11 pm, January 19, 2010

 
Blogger Merseymike said...

Whilst I have no reason to think that this was a wrong decision, a Tory councillor crossed the floor here last year, and also Quentin Davies MP and I'm not convinced either of them fundamentally changed their political views

11:08 pm, January 19, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually, while he is an unlikely labour MP, Quentin Davies is quite genuine in his switch to Labour and his only regret is that he didn't do it sooner.

Strange but true.

As deep tribalist I can find this sort of thing hard to understand: but I also admire it in its way.

10:55 am, January 20, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quentin "Belltower" Davies MP, seems to have found his natural home....!

11:44 am, January 20, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

guys, get a grip!!! As someone who lives in Haringey and knows how dirty politics can be, this is rediculous. Labour have been attacking cllr Mughal lately on silly stuff for the sake of the elections.
Cllr Mughal has always been a liberal, if labour don't like it that one of their colleagues have defected yesterday to the liberals at this crucial time of elections, then tough luck.
Looks like LABOUR are loosing it in Haringey!!!

If Cllr Mughal wanted to defect, he would go independent and not to either tories or labour.
As a resident, I follow up on everything that my cllr does, so if his daily work involves working with labour and tories, that doesn't make him one of them!!!
As one his residents, I am proud of having Mughal as my liberal cllr!!!

5:12 pm, January 20, 2010

 
Anonymous Rich said...

Thats because all the parties are virtually the same at the moment. Tory,Lib Dem and Labour are all going to sack half the country in April yet pay bankers payouts using tax handouts. It really doesn't what party the MP works for

7:47 pm, January 20, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

All 3 main parties are the same along with those UKIP Tories!
Labour are going to extend fat cat rail franchises for 22 years its an absolute disgrace!

8:49 pm, January 20, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"If Cllr Mughal wanted to defect, he would go independent and not to either tories or labour"

What a joke! he has nowhere else to go as he has been turned down by Labour and the Tories!
What about the Greens, has he tried them yet?

10:24 pm, January 20, 2010

 
Blogger Merseymike said...

There is a lot of convergence between the parties - behind the rhetoric, there are few really fundamental differences

3:19 pm, January 21, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cllr Mughal has written a blog abvout this. In effect calling you a liar. Which wouldn't be the first time.
http://fiyaz4mayoroflondon.blogspot.com/2010/01/haringey-labour-in-disarray-over.html

11:14 am, January 22, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cllr Mughal is clearly rattled :OD Poor Fiyaz, first time he actually turns up for Council in 9 months and he gets outed for trying to cross the floor.

4:44 pm, January 22, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Word is hes so disliked by Haringey Dim Lebs they are trying hard to deselect him, cuase he hardly turns up for meetings, and has been abusive to his fellow councillors

5:55 pm, January 22, 2010

 
Anonymous John said...

There is a lot of convergence between the parties - behind the rhetoric, there are few really fundamental differences

YAWN!

More yawning at the Eurovision posse

3:49 pm, January 25, 2010

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No comment on why Brian Haley left Labour and crossed the floor to join the Liberal Democrats. And why Haringey Labour reselected discredited former mayor, Reg Rice, who applied to join Lib Dems after he was deselected last time by Labour? What a circus!

9:54 am, February 12, 2010

 

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