The Labour Party has been left with no councillors on Maidstone council after the shock defection of their one surviving member.

Cllr Daniel Moriarty agreed to defect to the Lib Dems after a three-hour discussion with local party leaders last night. His move, only days after the May 1 elections, leaves the Tories still with a majority of 29 seats, with Lib Dems on 21, Independents five and no Labour members.

But Cllr Moriarty revealed that he had made his decision to quit Labour before the party received its drubbing at the polls.

He said: “I sent off my letter of resignation to the constituency party on April 29 and informed the council’s chief executive on the eve of the elections.”

He added: “I have been unhappy with the Labour party for a long time - at least 15 months. It’s been one thing after another: cash for honours, the way they have left the working classes behind and finally the abolition of the 10p tax band.”

Cllr Moriarty said: “I had intended to see out my remaining two years as an Independent and not seek re-election after that, but after talks with the Lib Dems I have decided to join them.”

Cllr Moriarty did not anticipate any hostile reaction from voters in his ward. He said: “I have always been 99.9 per cent a community councillor, not a Town Hall councillor. People know me as Cllr Daniel Moriarty, not Cllr Moriarty the Labour councillor.

“I will continue to represent them exactly as I did before.”

Cllr Moriarty was welcomed to the Lib Dem fold by his fellow ward member for Park Wood, Cllr Robert Field, who said: “Daniel’s voting record in the council chamber over the past year has shown he is supportive of the previous Lib Dem administration’s policies. We know he is an experienced councillor and will be an excellent asset to the party. There was no hesitation in welcoming him in.”