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‘Delight’ for Cameron as two Lib-Dems defect to Tories
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent16.07.09
David Cameron today hailed the defection of a Liberal Democrat London mayoral hopeful to the Tories.
Barrister Chamali Fernando, 30, from Finchley, ran to be the Lib-Dem candidate for Mayor of London but was defeated by Brian Paddick in 2007.
Ms Fernando's brother Chandila is also leaving the Lib-Dems to join the Conservatives. The 32-year-old business developer failed in his bid last year to become president of the Lib-Dems.
Mr Cameron said: “I am delighted to welcome Chamali and Chandila to the Conservative party.
“It is very pleasing that two people who have played such an active role at the highest level in the Liberal Democrats have decided that we are the only party that can deliver the change our country needs.
“Every day we are welcoming new people from all parties who share our values on civil liberties, the environment and quality of life issues.”
The Conservatives highlighted that the Fernandos come from a strongly Lib-Dem family.
They said that their father, Sumal Fernando, was the first Sri Lankan to contest a parliamentary seat in the UK, for the Social Democratic Party in Leicester West in 1983. He later stood for the Liberal Alliance in Nottingham North in 1987.
Ms Fernando, who was born in Sri Lanka, first campaigned for the Liberal Democrats at the age of six, and was a member of the party for 20 years.
Meanwhile, Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg attacked Mayor Boris Johnson for describing the £250,000-a-year he is paid for writing a newspaper column for the Daily Telegraph as “chicken feed”. In a Twitter question and answer session Mr Clegg branded the remark as “absurd and offensive to people struggling to get on”.
“How out of touch can he be?” Mr Clegg added.
