"Tory Split" in Brentwood & Ongar
The Brentwood Gazette reported this week that "factions" had formed in the local Conservative party and a split had been caused by the resignation of Chair Dudley Pound, husband of Warley councillor Jan Pound, and Treasurer Frank Lloyd, father of fellow Warley councillor William Lloyd.
Commenting on the news, Brentwood & Ongar Liberal Democrat Party Chair, Cllr Karen Chilvers said:
"I'm particularly concerned that they have openly admitted that they agreed a business plan for their office and then realised they hadn't taken it all in and reversed their decision.
"With U-Turns by the Tory council group on the cabinet proposal and parking charges, amongst other things, we should be used to this sort of thing by now I suppose.
"It's also a worry that MP Eric Pickles said he didn't want to get himself involved in local party matters. It seems he is too busy being Tory Chairman to worry about what's going on in his own back yard."
Last year, The News of the World reported that the membership of the local Tory party was down by about 15% since David Cameron took over. By contrast, the local Liberal Democrats have seen their membership increase by 20% and have been shortlisted for a Regional Party Award for their achievements.
Cllr Chilvers said:
"We have gained a significant amount of new members over the last couple of years and are constantly gaining fans on Facebook too.!"