Mayor takes a turn to Lib-Dems
FRANK REJOINS FORMER PARTY,
RESIDENTS in Oakwood will have a Liberal Democrat councillor for the next few weeks – at least until the May local elections – after independent councillor Frank Harwood announced he was returning to the party “with immediate effect”.
He said that he decided to return to the Lib Dems after almost 13 years because he felt “the Liberal Democrats are more in touch with Oakwood residents”.
Whether Mr Harwood, who is currently Mayor of Derby until the end of May, stays as a ward councillor will be in the hands of the electorate as he is up for re-election on May 6 along with a third of the city councillors.
He will stand as a Lib Dem, which is who he stood for when he was first elected to Derby City Council in 2008, representing his home area of Oakwood.
He decided to leave the Lib Dems in 2010 to join the city’s Conservatives and remained there until 2020, having successfully been re-elected in 2012 and 2016 in Oakwood.
But last year, he undertook a second consecutive term as mayor because of the pandemic and decided to become an independent councillor to “better carry out the mayoral position”.
A former football referee, who once ran the line at a Wembley cup final, Mr Harwood said: ““I’ve been on a political journey, and in joining the Lib Dems again it feels like I’ve come home.
“I have seen with my own eyes what happens when dictatorial politicians get too much power, and I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues to bring in a committee system, so the council is back in the hands of Derby people. Decisions have been taken in Oakwood which are not in the best interests of the Oakwood residents and not fair to the residents.”
Mr Harwood’s move to the Lib Dems means that the party now has nine seats on the 51-seat council, with the independents reduced to three councillors.
The Conservatives are the majority party and took charge of the council in 2018, supported by the Lib Dems and the then Brexit Party, now renamed as the Reform Derby party, who have five seats. Labour is the second biggest party with 15 seats.
A number of well-known councillors are up for re-election in May - last year’s elections having been held over until 2021 because of the pandemic and several others are standing down from politics.
Councillor Ruth Skelton, leader of the Lib Dem Group, said, “We welcome Frank. He feels that the Lib Dem group is the best ‘fit’ for him, and so do we.
“Liberal Democrats are local champions, and always put their residents first. Frank is a hard-working councillor, whose main aim is to do a good job for his constituents.”