Former Tory councillor joins Lib Dems citing concerns over Brexit
'Put simply, the Conservative Party is not the party I joined,' Cllr Gabriel Rozenberg said
An ex-Tory councillor has joined the Liberal Democrats after being a Conservative member for over 20 years due to concerns about Brexit.
Cllr Gabriel Rozenberg, who served Barnet Council for the past five years, released a short video on social media announcing the move. “Put simply, the Conservative Party is not the party I joined,” he said.
“I value hugely being a European citizen and I’m not going to see my rights […] taken away from without a fight. I’m certainly not for a minute going to endorse the dangerous, destructive No Deal Brexit plans of Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings,” he said.
In the video, Rozenberg also claims Labour and the Conservatives have been “taken over by extremists,” citing Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of antisemitism allegations.
Today I've quit the Conservatives – I'm now a Liberal Democrat. ???? pic.twitter.com/d5P9VeZj4R
— Gabriel Rozenberg (@rozgab) September 20, 2019
“In the past couple of weeks I’ve been hugely impressed by the start that Jon Swinson has made as leader of the Lib Dems,” he added.
“She’s been extremely decisive in saying that the Lib Dems would revoke Article 50.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.