A Liberal Democrat councillor who lost his seat in the council elections has defected to the Labour Party.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Cllr Helen Carr is the only Lib Dem left in the boroughCllr Helen Carr is the only Lib Dem left in the borough (Image: Archant)

Barry Cheese has crossed the floor citing his former party’s actions did not support the majority of residents living in Brent.

The ex-Brondesbury Park councillor added: “Nick Clegg has led the Lib Dems into a coalition propping up the Conservatives and I can now no longer tell the two parties apart.

“The biggest deception was made in 2010 and I have struggled to accept why the turned their back on young people and put up tuition fees instead of cutting them. I can no longer see the same party I joined, that’s why I have joined the Labour Party who has set out a plan to reverse the damage done by this Lib Dem Conservative coalition.”

Ibrahim Jahangir, who stood as a Lib Dem candidate for the Willesden Green ward in the elections in May has also joined the Labour Party.

A former chair of Brent Youth Parliament, he said: “In the recent 2014 election I stood as a candidate for the Lib Dems, but this party has betrayed the residents of our borough. Whilst people struggle to make ends meet they give tax cuts to millionaires and cut working family tax credits.”

The Lib Dems lost 14 seats at the election leaving newcomer Helen Carr as their only councillor.

The Mapesbury ward politician was also automatically made the leader of the Brent Lib Dems after its then leader Paul Lorber lost his seat in Sudbury after 32 years.

Welcoming Mr Cheese and Mr Jahangir to the Labour Party, Dawn Butler, Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Brent Central, said: “Ibrahim and Barry are excellent new additions to the Labour Party.

“But they are not the only ones, defections from the Liberal Democrats are becoming more and more common, we speak to so many concerned Brent residents on the doorstep every week who tell us they voted for the Lib Dems in 2010 and it was the biggest mistake they have made, as the party has gone back on their promises and got into bed with the Tories.”

The Times has contacted Cllr Carr for a comment and is awaiting a response.