Seventeen local Lib Dem members resign

Date article online: 25/03/2008

Seventeen members of Rochdale’s Liberal Democrats resigned from the party today, ripping up their membership cards outside of Paul Rowen’s office. The coodinated action was in protest over the re-selection of Cabinet Member, Mohammed Sharif, to contest the Milkstone and Deeplish ward in the forthcoming local elections, after a disputed vote was overturned by Rochdale Lib Dems’ executive committee.

Councillor Sharif's opponent in the contest, Javed Iqbal, insists he won an initial re-selection vote, only for the returning officer to invalidate several votes. The local Lib Dem office says this was due to them being ineligible to vote.

Mr Iqbal said: "There is considerable ill-feeling towards Councillor Sharif after it emerged that he had previously campaigned to help a Labour Party candidate win a seat that the Liberal Democrats had held for 23-years. Members have openly called him a traitor and it was thought that Councillor Sharif would be sacked from the party last year.

“I have lodged an appeal against Rochdale’s Liberal Democrat Executive Committee.

“Today I am ashamed to have been associated with a party that has abandoned its core principles.

“Unjust and inconsistent procedures have been used to ensure that Mohammed Sharif got enough votes to win his re-selection. This is because he has threatened to run as an independent candidate and the Lib Dems think he will win enough votes to lose [the Lib Dems] another seat.

“Because they are desperate to hold onto control of the council they have decided that he must remain as candidate. Effectively they are saying, we must keep a traitor in the party because our power base is slipping and we cannot afford to lose any more seats.”

Commenting, Constituency Chairman John Rodgers said: “This whole saga has not been helpful but we will be moving as one in order to retain the seat in May. We have spoken to at least one member who is doesn’t realise what she has done and has pledged to support the Lib Dems. It’s interesting to note that since Sharif was reselected we have had 23 members join the party and that pleases us. Many of the members who resigned were members of Javed’s family or close friends. We would rather have members who work for the Lib Dems and make a contribution than people who join for a specific purpose. Javed agreed to the process to select a candidate and because he lost has reacted adversely.”

A Lib Dem spokesman said: “We received a letter today, led by a member who has moved to Walsall to be their Postmaster. No member ripped up their membership cards – indeed only two members presented the letter. One of those was the failed candidate and some of his boasts are frankly make believe. Mr Iqbal made allegations against Councillor Sharif which were duly investigated and were found to be not true. To be fair, we are pleased that we have seen a net gain of members.”