“RESIGN, clear off!” were the cries as Derek Borthwick faced the wrath of voters at a public meeting.

He was elected as an Independent to Bournemouth Council in May, but decided to join the Tories four days later.

A vocal minority of the 50-strong audience at Bournemouth School for Girls gave him a rough ride.

“The only spirit he has displayed is that of his own self-centred greed and spin,” said one resident to applause. “He should do the decent thing and resign.”

The anger came as Cllr Borthwick, a member for Throop and Muscliff, attended his area forum meeting on Thursday.

He sat quietly at the councillors’ table and read out a prepared speech about his commitment to the ward.

He said the meeting was supposed to be non-political, so he could not address issues “concerning me”, but would give out copies of his letter to the Echo.

“What about morals, not politics? Resign!” called one person. “Clear off!” shouted another.

Cllr Anne Rey, leader of the Independent group and a ward councillor, offered to stand down and challenged him to a by-election.

Losing Conservative candidate Ian Clark stood up and said he was sorry people had not got what they wished.

Most audience members sat and watching without taking sides.

After his defection, Cllr Borthwick was appointed vice chairman of a committee and that provoked barbed comments.

Cllr Rey told the audience: “People don’t care if you’re chair, vice chair, if you are the Mayor – they want you to serve them.”

He won glowing praise from one woman for helping her fight cuts to her disabled son’s care package.

His letter to the Echo said he left the independent group because it was going to work with Labour and the Liberal Democrats, not be independent.

He felt he could serve residents better by working within the Conservatives, rather than being a lone voice on the outside.

Election results

May’s Throop and Muscliff election results Derek Borthwick* (Ind) 1,037; Philip Broomfield (Lab) 257; Lorne Castle (Con) 601; Elsbeth Caswell (Con) 572; Ian Clark (Con) 674; Fiona Dougherty-Price (Ind) 584; Tilak Ginige (LD) 132; Elizabeth Lucas (UKIP) 156; Peter Lucas (UKIP) 130; Richard Lucas (UKIP) 120; Anne Rey* (Ind) 1,490; Ron Whittaker* (Ind) 1,734.

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