The leader of Liverpool Council’s largest opposition group hasn’t ruled out working with a possible new party composed of Labour ‘rebels’.
After seven members of the largest party on the local authority broke ranks to vote against the annual budget, Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Richard Kemp admitted that a split among his party’s rivals “can’t be anything but good” a year away from all-out elections. This week, members of the seven rebel councillors said they didn’t defy the whip during this month’s budget meeting “for the sake of it” and hit back at claims made by Mayor Joanne Anderson that they had “their own reasons” for going against party lines.
Veteran opposition leader Cllr Kemp said he had expected further disciplinary action by the party after a public act of rebellion. He said: “What surprises me is that the Labour party hasn’t taken stronger action over some of this. I say that as a member of a party that doesn’t whip our members.
