A FORMER Liberal Democrat Dudley councillor said she can “never forgive” the party’s leader, as she defects to the borough’s Labour Party.

Serena Craigie stood for five years as a Lib Dem representative in the St James’ ward, earning a reputation as a hardworking campaigner until she lost her seat to former UKIP councillor Malcolm Davis in 2008.

Ms Craigie has now joined the authority’s ruling party and is working alongside Labour councillors Stuart Turner and Dave Branwood in her home ward of Gornal.

She said: “When I was on the council I always aimed to put residents first. My priority was to work hard, listen to local people and take action on the things that mattered to them. I’ll never forgive Nick Clegg for getting into bed with the Tories but the reason I’ve joined the local Labour team is because they work hard all year round and I want to help them improve things for residents in Gornal.

Welcoming Serena to the party, Dudley North MP Ian Austin, said: “I’m really pleased Serena’s joined the Labour Party. She was a popular and well respected councillor in St James’s ward and she’ll be a massive asset to us.”

  • Meanwhile Mike Rumble has been chosen to contest the Gornal seat for UKIP.

The former police officer joined the party after standing as an independent candidate for the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner elections