Tory defends party switch
THE Tory candidate for Rochdale has rejected claims her recent departure from Labour and previous connection with the Liberal Democrats betrays ‘a lack of principles.’
Atifa Shah, who was recently revealed as the borough’s Conservative candidate for the December 12 election , has been criticised by local Labour figures after her membership of the Labour Party only ended around three weeks ago.
Ms Shah’s wide political past also saw her described as a Liberal Democrat ‘rising star’ by former Rochdale MP Paul Rowen after she quizzed its thenleader Nick Clegg in 2008 - although she says she cannot recall if she was ever a party member.
And, following the announcement she would be standing for the Conservatives at next month’s General Election, the 32-year-old was criticised by two of Rochdale’s prominent Labour figures.
Trisha Ayrton - secretary of Rochdale Constituency Labour Party (CLP) questioned Ms Shah’s integrity following her defection.
She tweeted: “I don’t usually approve of criticism of one’s opponents as a political strategy - but to resign from one party and to be selected as parliamentary candidate for another in the space of three weeks suggests a lack of principles undesirable in any MP.”
Coun Danny Meredith - a Labour committee chair - joined in the criticism, asking Ms Shah how the electorate could trust her, and highlighting the fact she had also retweeted a message from a fourth political group, The Brexit Party, in recent weeks.
But Ms Shah, a former Matthew Moss High School pupil, says while her resignation may only have recently been processed, it was tendered ‘some months ago.’
Commenting on the social media attacks, the management consultant said: “We live in a time where politics is truly broken, parliament is paralysed and they are going to find there are more and more people like me who are starting to realise who they actually are and what they actually stand for.”
She added: “I don’t really see it as criticism. I saw those Tweets and didn’t respond to them. As a BAME [Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic] person, to stand up to Labour in a town that is traditionally Lib Dem or Labour is a brave step. I know I’m going to get criticism, but bring it on as I care about this town.”