Labour lose yet another Councillor in Birmingham

12.46.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 11th Oct 2005

Labour have lost yet another Councillor in Birmingham, Councillor Arjan Singh of Handsworth Wood Ward has defected to the Conservatives. Since the last set of Local Elections Labour have suffered a net loss of seven Councillors (ten Labour Councillors have either defected (2), been kicked out (6) or resigned (2) - Labour managed to hold three seats in by-elections)

Councillor Singh explained he quit the Labour Group because of the "dismay and despair" he felt over recent electoral abuses and an ongoing "culture of denial" in the party. The defection means that the Conservatives have 40 Councillors against 46 Labour, 30 Liberal Democrats, 2 People's Justice Party and there are 2 Independents.