Sandwell Conservative defectors 'were being deselected anyway' claim spurned Tories
The two Sandwell Conservative councillors who defected to Labour over the weekend were "being deselected" anyway, according to angry former colleagues.
The Express & Star revealed Princes End Councillors Archer Williams and David Wilkes crossed the divide over the weekend which went on to make national headlines.
The pair's former Conservative colleagues mocked the pair's political U-turn, along with Tories across the country online, claiming it was motivated by "deselection" and not a sudden conversion to socialism.
Annoyed long standing Labour members in the borough also voiced concerns the two were "saving their political skin in an election year" and had beliefs which were not in keeping with Labour.
Charlemont and Grove Vale Conservative Councillor Les Trumpeter tweeted his amusement at the defections, which had reduced the Sandwell Council Conservative grouping to eight.
He claimed Williams and Wilkes were "the two most right wing of the group" and claimed the pair were being deselected by the party before the defections.
More than 25,000 people saw Councillor Williams defection tweet with Conservatives from across the country slamming his decision.
Former West Midlands Conservative Region chairman Jim Cooper blasted Councillor Archer's defection.
