Our response to Cllr Abul Chowdhury's Resignation

Rushmoor Liberal Democrats were surprised and disappointed to find out that Councillor Abul Chowdhury had decided to join the Conservative party. Barely a month earlier he had put himself forward to represent the Liberal Democrat party as our candidate for South Farnborough in the 2021 county council elections. Unfortunately, Abul was not successful in his bid, but we we had hoped that, regardless of who our members voted in as our candidate, he would continue to support us in our upcoming contest with the Conservatives.

Abul Chowdhury and Alan Hilliar have been the faces of the local Liberal Democrat party for a number of years. In 2018 the St Marks team brought in new ideas and new talent. Abul won the 2018 local election in St Marks, and the team have now won 3 elections in a row there, culminating in the election of Cllr Thomas Mitchell in the by-election last September. Local residents will be able to express their views at the ballot box in 2021, and the local Lib Dem campaign team, now led by Alan and Thomas, remain committed to fighting for a fairer society for all.

Alan Hilliar said "I've worked with Abul for several years on local community issues. We shared a deep commitment to fixing local problems, some of which have been unresolved by the Conservatives for many years. I don't know what's led to Abul's change of heart, but it's left me feeling personally both saddened and disappointed. I remain firmly committed to the Lib Dem vision for a greener, cleaner Rushmoor with town centres that are vibrant, full of life, reflecting the character, history and diversity of our community."

Craig Card, Chair of Rushmoor Liberal Democrats added "Abul Chowdhury represented the local party over the years as Chair and Vice Chair of the local party and has represented St Marks ward for just over 2 years as a Liberal Democrat working on many issues for the local people."

Cllr Thomas Mitchell said "I am deeply saddened by the news that Abul has changed parties. This came as a
complete shock to both myself and my wife Emily. We had not been aware of any issues that could have lead to
his decision to leave, and if he had spoken to me then I would have worked hard with him to resolve them. We
were just starting to see the effect of a strong opposition team on the Conservative-led council, and that is why
Emily and I will continue to campaign on behalf of residents in North Camp and the wider Farnborough
community."