Shiva Tiwari meets his new Conservative party teammates in West Hampstead

CAMDEN’S Labour party responded to a West Hampstead councillor defecting to the Tories by sending as many members as possible to the area, writes Richard Osley.

Shiva Tiwari made history last week by switching from the ruling party to the Conservatives ­– as revealed on the New Journal front page last week.

It is the first time a councillor has crossed the floor in this direction.

SEE ALSO DEFECTION DRAMA AT TOWN HALL AS SHIVA TIWARI QUITS LABOUR TO JOIN THE TORIES

He said that he did not think the council was not working in all of the borough’s interests and was failing to get the basics right.

The red placards were held high by Labour members outside West Hampstead Library on Saturday, just down the road from where blue posters were being waved to welcome Cllr Tiwari in to his new party.

Labour react to Cllr Tiwari’s side-switching

London Assembly Andrew Boff led the handshakes. The war of words ­– just over a year from the next boroughwide council elections – has continued in the letters pages of the New Journal today (Thursday).

They include a message from the Lib Dem leader Councillor Tom Simon – whose party may also fancy their chances in West Hampstead ­­­­­– who said he could understand why Cllr Tiwari wanted to leave Labour but was puzzled why he would then join the Tories.

Cllr Tiwari will take his seat on the Tory benches at the April 7 full council meeting.