A Tory Councillor in Southport has defected to Labour (more from LabourHome), apparently citing David Cameron’s opposition to 42 day detention of terror suspects without trial. Strikes me that there must be more to it than that – would a national issue like that prompt someone to defect? It also strikes me as mad to defect as a Councillor bearing in mind Labour’s current predicament in the polls.

Then there’s the ideological issue: speaking here as a Labour supporter inherently suspicious of the government’s plans for 42 day detention, I can’t possibly welcome someone defecting from the Tories for that reason.

[UPDATE 11.07.08] Iain Dale has more – my guess that something strange was happening proved to be correct. Hazel Blears was crowing about the defection – should she still if what Dale writes is correct?