Former Lib Dem parliamentary candidate resigns from the Lib Dem group

Liberal Democrat Councillor Andy Stamp has resigned from the group on Medway Council for personal reasons.

Cllr Stamp, who is currently the youngest serving member of Medway Council, had already resigned as Deputy Leader of the group, which paved the way for Cllr Sheila Kearney to take the Gillingham North councillor’s place.

Labour blogger Tristan Osborne posted on his Twitter feed last night that a well-placed source was suggesting that something bigger may be happening, with Alan W Collins hearing conflicting rumours that the twice Parliamentary Candidate for Gillingham (and Rainham) may have resigned as a councillor, or defected to another group.

But confirmation came from Medway Council today that Cllr Stamp has indeed joined the?Independent?group, becoming the fourth member after former Labour Councillors Tony and Val Goulden, who joined last year, and long-term Independent Cllr Ian Burt, who was also previously a Lib Dem councillor.

The movement comes weeks after Cllr Geoff Juby retook the reigns as group leader, having left Cllr Maureen Ruparel in charge for a year whilst he focused on his parliamentary campaign.