Statement from Cllr James Sapwell

Further to the Brentwood Gazette's claim that Brentwood North's Cllr James Sapwell is considering joining the Conservatives, Cllr Sapwell has issued the following statement:

"In light of the puzzling tip off - presumably recieved from the Conservatives - and published in the Brentwood Gazette today, I wish to confirm my 100% committment to the Liberal Democrats and their commitment to Brentwood.

"I have not approached The Conservative party, or any of its members, in any way about joining them and I have no intention to do so. I ask the Conservative Party to confirm that no discussions have taken place regarding this."

"I have been given a strong mandate by the residents of Brentwood North to challenge the decisions of the administration where appropriate to the best of my ability as a Liberal Democrat."

"I loook forward to continuing as part of a strong team of Liberal Democrats that continues to put Brentwood first.

"We remain committed to challenging an administration that has consistently failed our Borough - approving gross overdevelopment in our town centre, failing to get our accounts signed off and ushering in an era of high chief executive pay in Brentwood - while working hard to keep our Town Hall as a seat of local government in Brentwood."