Defection set to rock city’s Labour council

LABOUr looks set to lose control of a city council after one of its councillors defected to the Tories over the issue of anti-Semitism.

Anne Meadows, whose husband is of Jewish descent, crossed the floor of Brighton and Hove Council after enduring 18 months of attacks.

She said: ‘There has been a lot of antiSemitism going on in the city and that was aimed at me as well.’

Last July, she was deselected by Labour party members ahead of this year’s local elections. The Tories are now the council’s largest party and will try to form a minority administration.

Mrs Meadows said the abuse ‘came to a head even in Labour group meetings where I would be attacked, and none of the other councillors would prevent it.

‘I used to go home feeling awful and I thought there’s got to be more than this, it’s not the Labour Party I knew and loved’. Her decision was welcomed by Theresa May, who said at PMQs yesterday: ‘I am sure she will be an excellent Conservative councillor.’