Councillor Alan Weeks joins Green Party.

There is a small but interesting green and left tradition in the Liberal Democrats, think of all the sterling work the Young Liberals did to fight apartheid in the 1970's.

Indeed some of the people in the Green Party I work with like Victor Anderson come from this traditiona and of course, hate to say this but one of my real political heros is a lib, Eric Lubbock! (cos of his work for indigenous in Peru!)

With the orange book groups success in turning the Liberal Democrats to the right and the coalition, the minority of radical Lib Dems are leaving.

Great to see Alan Weeks, Hampshire County Councillor for Totton North, become our first councillor in Hampshire.

"When I was campaigning local voters made it clear to me that they were angry about the way they have been let down by the national Lib Dem party. What they were saying was right. I have been a Lib Dem (and Liberal before that) for about 25 years and it is not me that has changed. It is the values of the national Liberal Democrats that have changed. For example, on the tuition fees issue, it was untrustworthy for MPs to break personal pledges that they had made.

"It was a tough decision for me to resign and join the Green Party after almost 25 years of service as a Lib Dem councillor. But my heart has to be in what I do and I could no longer support the direction taken by Lib Dem leaders.

"Now I am looking forward and I am excited to be joining the Green Party. I realise that Green Party values of putting people and the environment before profit, provision and not privatisation of public services, promoting renewable energy and a high priority for animal welfare are in line with mine. After all, I already personally follow the philosophy by driving a car powered by electricity generated by my own PV solar panels.

"I look forward to working with some old friends and new Green friends, in providing a realistic alternative to the Conservative Party in Totton. I intend to work hard so that I continue to be Hampshire's first Green County Councillor after the next election in 2013."