19th May 2011

WEYMOUTH: Councillor crosses the floor from Tory to Independent

By Harry Walton

WEYMOUTH and Portland Council and Conservative group leader Geoff Petherick has dumped his party and joined the Independents.

His decision came following a 10-6 defeat in a leadership ballot with Weymouth and Portland Conservative group rival Mike Goodman, the same man who Mr Petherick ousted as leader last year.

Mr Goodman stayed on in 2010 and it appeared that Mr Petherick would do the same in 2011 when he was voted into the post of deputy-leader at the Tory group’s annual meeting.

But he has now marched away from the Conservatives and joined the Independents, claiming all his efforts for the Tories “fell on stony ground” and that he felt they were more interested in the party than in Weymouth and Portland.

Mr Petherick said: “I was disappointed not to be re-elected Conservative group leader, but I’m actually quite happy about my decision to switch and become an Independent because I have got my private life back while still being able to pursue the interests of Wyke Regis which is the ward I represent.

“My shared approach to the council where I tried to involve all parties for the good of Weymouth and Portland didn’t go down well with some people but it produced a freeze on council tax and the first unanimous vote in support of a council budget.

“A number of Conservative group members have now contacted me to thank me for what I did and I would like to wish Mike Goodman well as their new leader.”

Mr Petherick’s party switch won’t change the balance of power because Weymouth and Portland will remain a hung council with no one party in overall control.

But his decision could effect other changes, notably on the powerful management committee where he was chairman.

Mr Goodman paid tribute to him and said he had never come across anyone who had worked as hard as Mr Petherick, but he denied his Conservative group put party before Weymouth and Portland.

He added: “Each year our group selects a leader, sets out our programme of meetings and sorts out what committee people want to sit on.

“It was a routine general meeting which decided by secret ballot to ask me to take over as Conservative group leader with Geoff as deputy.

Since then he has decided to go Independent and I have heard nothing further from him.

“I understand how Geoff is feeling because he was voted in as group leader in identical fashion in my place last year.”

PICTURE: NEWLY INDEPENDENT - Councillor Geoff Petherick says his efforts for the Tories "fell on stony ground"

WEYMOUTH: Councillor crosses the floor from Tory to Independent

WEYMOUTH: Councillor crosses the floor from Tory to Independent

Comments

Add new comment