A Pakistani-origin peer from the Liberal Democrat party in the UK today announced her defection to the ruling Conservative Party under Prime Minister Theresa May.
Baroness Zahida Manzoor quit over the Lib Dems' policies on Europe and praised what she said was May's clear leadership on Brexit.
The 58-year-old said in a statement, "Leaving the Lib Dems - where I've been a member for three years in the House of Lords, was tough, but it was the right thing to do. I could not support the leadership of a party that calls itself democratic and then refuses to acknowledge the will of the people in a referendum".
"Theresa May's vision of a Britain that works for everyone, and her clear leadership over Brexit, now make the Conservatives a natural home for me and millions of people like me, from all communities across the UK.
"As Britain embarks on a new journey, outside the EU but reaching out to trade with the world, and as we really begin addressing the problems of social mobility at home, I look forward to helping play my part as a Conservative," she said.
She is the second former Lib Dem peer to switch to the Tories, after Lady Nicholson re-joined the party.
Welcoming Manzoor's decision, Conservative Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin MP said, "There is only one centre ground party in Britain today, and that is the Conservatives. We welcome Baroness Manzoor's commitment to join us as we build a country that works for everyone. The failure of Labour and the Lib Dems to listen to the democratically expressed will of the British people is shameful".
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