Whaddon By-election

10.48.00pm GMT Mon 14th May 2007

Commenting on the Labour Leader's resignation from the Council, Liberal Democrat Leader Isobel McCall questioned why this resignation has occurred at this point in time.

Isobel McCall said: "The Labour Leader is believed to have been in his new job for some time. When did he find out that it was politically restricted? Why did he not resign in time for the Whaddon by-election to be run at the same time as the local elections? If he had done, then it would have saved the Council Tax payers money and the Council staff time. Now, just one week after the local elections, the Council will have to book another venue and organise another election!"

The Lib Dem Council leader went on to say: "This is typical of the Labour Party - to announce the resignation by press release before the official resignation was received at the Council. This smacks of New Labour nationally too - the Prime Minister announced his resignation in the media before his actual resignation was handed in recently."

The Liberal Democrats also noted that:

• The new Labour Group Leader announced he is retiring a long time ago, went to the back benches and keeps promising to not say or do a lot - yet he has to be dragged out of semi-retirement to be leader.

• And the former Milton Keynes North East MP was reported saying in the media that "someone should shoot him if he stood for local government again" - but he's been dragged out of political retirement.

• Plus the Whaddon by-election candidate also retired as a Milton Keynes councillor some years ago, yet has been dragged out to stand again.

The Labour Party is clearly demoralised and struggling to find anyone to stand for them.