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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.
Reader views (25)
Glad to hear that a Sri Lankan is making in roads into UK politics!
- Prashan, Melbourne Australia
Oh great, the Tories are getting all PC on us. We do NOT need bleeding heart Liberals influencing the politics of the right. Especially these two are quite obviously just furthering their own careers and nests.
I am sure these two corrupt politicians are really going to have white middle class Englands best interests at heart.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Brian de Souta
I don't know much about the Paddick/Fernando campaigns, but one thing I do recall is Team Fernando lodging the exact same complaint that you cite, about a Facebook group which was apparently against the rules, against the third candidate Fiyaz Mughal.
It seems to me that both complaints stand or fall together. It's a bit rich of Chamali to feel victimised when it happened to her.
- Alix, Manchester
My God. What venom drips from the Lib Dem Vommentators! Yes, Vommentators. For you make ordinary people feel sick.
- Matt, Telford, UK
It just shows how people seeking power will always gravitate to the Tory and Labourt parties. It also shows how silly his reasoning is...
It ws Mrs Thatcher who introduced the Expenses rip off and the fact that the Labour govt chose to only go back 5 yrs or so does not exclude the fact the scandal was hidden from the Britsh public since it was introduced in 1984.
Now I think we can guess EXACTLY WHY Mrs (now Lady) Thatcher bought her big house in Dulwich in 1984...
NB As far as the Daily Telegraph research shows, the rip offs by Tory MPs were bigger and more 'luxurious' than Labour or Lib Dems. Inded the Lib Dems came out of it with next to nothing to smell of compared to the huge stink of seeing what so many Tory and Labourt MPs did...!
- Nick, St James SW1
2 opportunists who want to get on no matter what party......
- Rocky, london uk
Proof that the mian three parties are not better than each other. Time for change!
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
Sorry, who are they? I've never heard of either of them.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain
Brian de Souta,
If Chandila was really disappointed about Nick Clegg's response to the expenses scandal, why join the Tories? I haven't noticed David Camerion expelling many of his MPs, nor for instance insisting that someone like Brian Coleman should resign for abusing his taxi account.
People who defect always do so because they think the grass is greener in another Party, or because they were snubbed. I suggest also in this case you might ask the Fernandos if their father ever asked Nick Clegg for a peerage?
- Nick, London
Even we here in SRI Lanka know How TORIES have cost YOU
Privatisation Rip off and underinvestment public transport Crippled BY TORY GOVERNMENT.
Unfair and Unenforceable Poll tax Crippling working class families BY TORY GOVERMENT
Rip of Energy Prices Pushing Millions into outrageous Fuel poverty BY TORY GOVERNMENT.
14 Plus sleazy TORY MP's Ripping of tax payers by Flipping .
CHANDILA's -you have SOLD OUT . PRINCIPLES ?
- James Willis, SRI LANKA.
When the Conservatives uncannily fail to appreciate their genius, where will they go next I wonder?
Can the Fernando Party really be more than a couple of years away?
- James Graham, Mill Hill, London, England, UK
Neither of these people is an MP, so what is the big fuss?
The Lib Dems are hell bent of returning us all to the stone age with punitive "green" initiatives and are completely committed to our wholesale sellout to the EU. How telling that htese two have found a natural home in the Tory party.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Fail to be elected party president...then off in a huff.
Blatant ambition and self-promotion; no credibility at all
- Pete, London
Chandila was previously a Conservative, left under Howard, back under Cameron. Chamali, though was a liberal first and left due to the party's pathetic behaviour during the selection race for London Mayor.
Brian Paddick was always going to win, neverthless she was subjected to abuse and petty harassment by his selection campaign team, racist & ageist abuse from a small minority of members for the crime of daring to stand against the establishment candidate... as a young women... who hadn't been a Councillor no less... Team Paddick even had her brother's Facebook account suspended for setting up a group supporting her.
Chandila I understand has been completely underwhelmed by the Nick Clegg's leadership, or rather lack of it, particularly in regard to recent sleaze allegations.
Neither are serial hacks who can't imagine life outside politics, so the opportunist label doesn't wash.
As for right-wing, Chandila is centre-right, Chamali was dead centre in Lib Dem political opinion. Both are liberals.
Ambitious Alix yes, but I wouldn't crow about losing ambitious people, we can't survive just as a party of blogging commentators.
- Brian De Souta, London
Never trust a turn-coat.
- Mickinlondon, london.
Alas, beware of them. how on earth people who held liberal democratic ideals suddenly jump up to conservative ideals. Political opportunists without values. They know that the next government will be conservative then they took the move to grab the opportunity.
- Shameonu, Chatswood, Australia
Sad news because these are two very pleasnat people. But Chandila is actually rejoining the Conservative Party. I believe he has been a member of the Conservatives for more years than he was a Liberal Democrat.
- Eastender, Basildon, Essex
Dyed-in-the-wool Liberals, frustrated by their political failures, jumping ship.
- Victor, Nw Kent, Swanley, England
Not surprising news, alas. These two were always ambitious individuals first, liberals second. They quit the Lib Dems a few months back. Everyone knew they would leave a cooling off period before they joined the Tories.
- Alix, Manchester
The change our country needs. Thats rich coming from a party who had a long tenure in Government but only succeeded in making things worse with their poll tax and privatisation programme.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
The Fernandos were on the right-wing libertarian loony fringe of the Liberal Democrats. And neither was a significant figure in the party.
Most party members will welcome their departure. The Tories are welcome to them.
- Lib Dem Member, London
If I was in the tory party I would have refused to take em!
two complete losers decide to defect to what they think will be a 'winning' party. Shameless. I sincerely hope no-one votes for them.
- David M, London
No doubt they were promised to be shoe-horned into safe Tory seats by Cameron. Just what we need more politicians with out principles and yet more lawyers!
- Danny, NW5
The pair have seen the light !
Apparently they looked at Labour but the light was off, the bills were mounting up and the house was full of squatters - Easy choice really !
- William, London
What a pair of political opportunists, no doubt playing the minority card. Didn't get what they wanted with the LibDems so off to the Tories. No doubt it would have been Labour a few years ago.
- Ranter, Maidstone, UK
