THE For Darwen Party has lost control of the town council after a defecting councillor claimed ‘they are only in it for themselves’.

Sudell ward member Martin McCaughran has joined the Liberal Democrats, meaning the For Darwen Party now has six councillors, Lib Dems have five, and Labour and Conservatives one each.

Coun McCaughran said: “I lost trust in the For Darwen Party.

"They have no leadership whatsoever and don’t work as a team.

“They are only interested in what they can get out of it.

"I’m fed up because this is not a game, it’s serious.

“I work for the people of Darwen, not for other councillors.

“I don’t want to be told ‘Martin, be careful what you are saying’.”

He added: “I have listened to what the people of this town want and that’s why I’ve chosen the Lib Dems.

“I want to be in a party where I am respected and appreciated, and who have leadership.”

Town Mayor Paul Browne, a Lib Dem representative of the Sudell ward, said: “I’m delighted Martin has chos-en to come to us.

“He’s a brilliant and gen-uine guy and a real asset.

“Now the For Darwen don’t have control and can’t push all their ideas through anymore, things will be a lot fairer.

“They will have to listen to everyone else for a change.”

Coun Tony Melia, lead-er of the For Darwen Party, said the news had ‘come out of the blue’.

He said: “It’s disapp-ointing to lose one of your members when they haven’t given any explanation to me or Trevor Maxfield, the leader of the town council.

“I think Martin has been unhappy because ID cards for councillors to get into the town hall have only just been made, and it wasn’t fast enough for him.”