Aylesbury Vale councillor slammed for 'betrayal' after defecting to Conservative Party

Councillor Dean Field, who represents the Wendover, Halton and Stoke Mandeville ward, said his decision followed seeing ‘first-hand’ how Conservatives were delivering what he described as a well-run council.

He said joining the group would allow him to be “more effective in delivering for my residents as part of a strong and experienced team focused on practical results”.

However, the move has prompted criticism from former political colleagues and residents. Seb Berry, who was the other Liberal Democrat candidate in the two-member ward at last year’s election, said: “People in Wendover have been wondering whatever happened to their invisible new councillor. Now we know.

“It’s beggars belief that Cllr Field has chosen to join the Conservative Party just 10 months after being elected as a Liberal Democrat, and after he spent the election last year criticising the Tories.

“Wendover, Halton and Stoke Mandeville is the only ward in the Mid Bucks constituency, where the combined Lib Dem vote for two councillors topped the poll.

“For Wendover to end up with two Tory councillors is utterly outrageous. Field should resign and fight a by-election as a Tory, but he won’t. He’d lose.”

Nigel Gamble, a resident of Wendover, said he felt “utterly betrayed” by the decision. “To be honest I was furious when I saw the Tory council leader proudly pictured with Cllr Field on social media,” he said.

“It was less than a year ago when he and his fellow candidate Seb Berry were canvassing here in Wendover agreeing with me and my wife that there needed to be change at Buckinghamshire Council and that they represented that change.

“While I voted Labour in the general election, I voted tactically for both of them in the local election as they were clearly the best tactical choice for such a change.

“As such I feel utterly betrayed by Cllr Dean whose dishonest and deceitful behaviour justifies the increasing mistrust people feel about political figures.

“If I and the other Wendover residents who elected him had known then what we know now, we would not have voted Lib Dem.”

He said there should be a by-election held due to the defection. He added: “It is simply not the case that people vote for individual councillors, as in most cases, we have never met them before and will probably never hear from them again.

“As such it is completely unacceptable when councillors like Cllr Field and MPs feel that democracy is served when they can just change horses as and when it suits their career aspirations.”

The Liberal Democrat Group on Buckinghamshire Council also reacted to the news saying they were “surprised and disappointed.”

In a statement the group said: “We are surprised to learn that his views have changed so dramatically since last year’s election, that he is now ready to support the Conservative administration, and in particular he supports the administration’s push to build on the Bucks Sports and Social Club site.

“We have always worked alongside residents and the parish council throughout because it is the right thing for the community – and we will continue to stand up for the concerns of residents.”

In the May council elections last year, Cllr Field was elected with the most votes for the ward with 1,050. Second was Conservative candidate Peter Strachan with 993 votes, and third was Seb Berry for the Liberal Democrats with 961.