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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 14 November 2008

Cllr Cornwell’s resignation letter

LIB DEMS MAY LOSE POWER AT TOWN HALL

Crisis as the finance boss quits holding the party to ransom

THE balance of political power in Islington was on a knife-edge last night (Thursday) after the Liberal Democrats were rocked by the resignation of the party’s finance chief.
Councillor Andrew Cornwell has quit the Town Hall cabinet, unhinging the Lib Dems’ majority of one and leaving the leadership hanging on his vote for key crunch decisions.
He is being courted by rival parties for a possible defection.
Cllr Cornwell has been described as a “kingmaker” due to the Lib Dems relying on the support of all their members to keep their one seat majority on the council.
Cllr Cornwell retains a seat on the backbenches but there is speculation that he will feel free to defy his party’s high command in future votes and side with the opposition over some contentious issues. The worst-case scenario for the Lib Dems would be difficulty in winning approval for policies.
Lib Dem leader Councillor James Kempton said: “He (Cllr Cornwell) has said in writing that he intends to remain a Liberal Democrat. Everyone in the Lib Dems has always had that power to hold us to ransom.”
The Tribune revealed how Cllr Kempton had ordered a reshuffle in a web exclusive on Monday. He accepted Cllr Cornwell’s letter of resignation after weeks of not seeing eye to eye and turning down an initial offer to step down.
Labour councillor James Murray said: “He’s in a position of quite a lot of power now and I wonder if other Lib Dem backbenchers or executive members will start to realise that they could have this power too if there’s an issue they feel strongly about. Andrew’s the unexpected kingmaker.”
The share of power has been delicately balanced since the 2006 council elections which saw Labour run within a whisker of winning back control of the council. Several leading Lib Dems lost their seat but the party retained power on the closest possible margin.
The only Green Party councillor, Katie Dawson, said: “The Lib Dems are running the whole thing on a knife-edge – it only takes one member of their ranks to break away. If we vote together we would potentially have the casting vote.”
Cllr Cornwell has a history with the Green Party, having resigned as chairman of their national executive to become a Lib Dem. But the environment is still a crunch issue for him, and he blames the Lib Dems’ lack of progress on this as a key feature in his resignation letter.
Cllr Cornwell was last night unavailable for comment but his letter of resignation said he felt the cabinet was “impossible to work with.”

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