I WOULD like to sincerely thank all those residents who have contacted both Cllr Ron Whittaker and myself supporting us and sharing their anger and disappointment over Cllr Derek Borthwick crossing over to the Tories in Bournemouth within a week of the election after standing and winning as an Independent.

We have been heartened by the show of support over what has been a very dark week – in fact politics at its worst.

Cllr Borthwick told me as the Independent group leader that he couldn’t work under the leadership of fellow member Cllr Ben Grower as leader of the Labour Group.

“There isn’t a formal leader of the opposition,” I told Cllr Borthwick - I was his leader.

I read in the Echo too that I was on a local radio station and said that “at heart I’m a Lib Dem” but what the comment from Cllr Borthwick failed to say was that it was in general elections I am a Lib-Dem, not locally. A big difference.

I sincerely hope that Cllr Borthwick does the honourable thing and resigns and stands again in Throop and Muscliff but this time as a Tory candidate as this would be the fair thing to do to all the residents who voted for him as an Independent and to us as his ward colleagues.

We deserve better.

CLLR ANNE REY, Setley Gardens, Bournemouth