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Camden New Journal - EXCLUSIVE by RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 5 July 2007

Theo Blackwell, Philip Nelson and Mike Katz

From left, Camden Labour deputy leader Theo Blackwell, Philip Nelson and Labour candidate for the Haverstock by-election Mike Katz

School controversy forces Tory to defect

Labour delight as Conservative joins party in protest

CAMDEN’s Conservatives were rocked last night (Wednesday) when a key party organiser defected to Labour in protest at the council’s failure to open a new school in the south of the borough.
Philip Nelson – celebrated as the party’s Campaigner of the Year at a branch awards ceremony two years ago – said the Conservatives had broken their promise to voters.
Labour welcomed him with open arms and membership papers are due to be signed by the end of the week.
He could even go straight into battle by helping in the final stages of the Haverstock by-election.
Mr Nelson, who stood for the Conservatives at last year’s borough elections, said: “In order to get votes the Conservatives marched local people right up to the top of the hill. Now they can’t deliver on what they said, they have to march them right down again.”
Camden has been trusted with £200 million by ministers as part of the government’s Building Schools for the Future programme – but none of it will be used to open a new school in wards south of the Euston Road despite the huge demand for secondary places. Instead, a new school is set to open in Swiss Cottage.
Mr Nelson said: “With so many proposals, local people want an open process, not one with a hidden political agenda.”
His comments refer to internal discussions that have apparently developed within the Camden branch of the party and differences of opinion on whether to welcome private sponsorship.
He said Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Marshall had made it clear to members that he is backing a new-style city academy sponsored by UCL.
But Mr Nelson added: “There is another part of the party which believes in holding an open competition, but they are worried that it could lead to the new school becoming a community school which to them would be a nightmare.”
The top-secret defection has been arranged on a need-to-know basis and late last night information was only just dribbling through to councillors. Many of the borough’s top Tories were still in the dark about Mr Nelson’s change in allegiance and it was the New Journal that broke the news to Cllr Marshall.
He said: “I am disappointed about this. We have done all that we can to find a way to get a new school in the south of the borough. We have asked the government for a site. We have asked the government for permission to open a smaller school and the answer has been no.”
With regards to a possible internal row about schools, Cllr Marshall said: “This was a private discussion and if he is bringing it into the open, he is being unfair.”
Mr Nelson, a governor at Argyle School, said the Conservatives should never have entered into a power-sharing pact with the Liberal Democrats after making gains at elections last May.
He said that he had been thinking about making the jump for almost a year but had been inspired by former Tory MP Quentin Davies’s defection to Labour on a national level last week.
Mr Nelson said: “It was both refreshing and sad to read the extracts from Quentin’s letter to David Cameron, the comments would have struck a chord with many within the Conservative party who are now concerned about the almost total lack of direction from the current leadership.”
Conservative branch treasurer Tim Barnes said: “He (Nelson) is a hard working member and we will miss that, but to describe him as a rising star wouldn’t be true. He failed in an attempt to become the branch chairman.”
Labour insisted that Mr Nelson had made the first move.
Deputy leader Councillor Theo Blackwell said: “His move to Labour is a result of the lack of vision in the Camden Conservative Party and exposes the internal divisions they have over Camden’s most important decision – a new secondary school for local children.”

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