Labour's Councillor Candidate Welcomes Lib Dem Defector

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Calling on Lib Dems & Greens to lend him their vote in Thamesfield by-election

Christian Klapp, Labour’s candidate in the pending Putney by-election, has welcomed Jeremy Ambache to the party following his high profile defection from the Liberal Democrats.

Jeremy Ambache stood for the council several times, including last May. He stood to be Putney's MP in 2005. He was almost elected to the London Assembly in 2008 so high up on his party's list of candidates was he. Only last year he was seriously contemplating standing to be Mayor of London. He worked on Nick Clegg’s leadership campaign. A founding member of the SDP in 1981, that eventually became the Liberal Democrats, Jeremy has lived in West Putney since 1977.

Christian pictured here with Jeremy right said:
“I'm not going to rub Liberal Democrat noses in Jeremy's change of allegiance - that's not what my politics is about. But losing an activist as senior as Jeremy underlines the serious problem the Liberal Democrats have.

“The only way we can bring about change in Putney is for Lib Dem and Green voters from last year to lend me your vote to make this election competitive. The Liberal Democrats cannot win this election – they never could - but their claim looks simply preposterous now. If Lib Dem and Green voters lend me their votes this election can become about the issues and about giving Putney an independent voice or more of the same.

“That's why I welcome Jeremy's decision to back me. I ask, respectfully, all Liberal
Democrats in Putney - still committed to the party or not - to follow his example and
back me to bring about change. Together, we can.”