Make your mind up, Michael! (From Swindon Advertiser)

Make your mind up, Michael!

Coun Michael DickinsonA FORMER Tory who became a Liberal Democrat councillor has now joined the Conservatives on Swindon Council.

Coun Michael Dickinson, who represents Central ward, left the Lib Dems and became an independent councillor last week.

Now he has been accused of political opportunism and has been called on to resign from the council after joining the Tories.

Coun Wendy Johnson, deputy leader of the Lib Dems on the council, said:

"Coun Dickinson was, until last week, a member of the Liberal Democrat group.

"He chose to resign and become an independent councillor saying he had no plans to join another political group.

"Less than a week later, he has joined the Conserva-tive Group.

"His actions represent political opportunism and nothing else.

"If Michael had any honour or decency, he would resign his Central ward seat where he was elected as a Liberal Democrat and let the electorate of the Central ward decide if they want a Conservative to represent them."

Coun Dickinson said yesterday there was a large expense related to a by-election and he was not planning to resign from the council.

He added that when he left the Lib Dems last week he had not approached any other political party.

"I didn't request to join the Conservative group until Monday," he said.

He added that it was one of the possibilities he had been considering along with remaining an independent councillor or goining another political party.

But earlier this week he told the Adver: "This is something that has been on the cards for a while now.

"I have been getting more and more disillusioned with the Liberal Democrats and feeling the best option to represent my residents was going to be as a member of the Conservative group." He also dismissed claims that he switched parties for political opportunism.

"I don't believe the Liberal Democrats have anything to offer the people of Swindon so I don't believe I would have been representing the best interests of my residents if I had stayed with them," he said.

Coun Dickinson was elected to the council in 2000 as a Lib Dem but had previously been a member of the Conservative Party.

Senior Conservative councillor Justin Tomlinson, the lead member for Swindon Services, welcomed the news that Coun Dickinson had joined the party.

Isabel Field