Paul Fisher with the Tory group leader Paul Swaddle, left, as his defection was made public; he then said that Sir Sadiq Khan had ‘prioritised his own vanity projects at the expense of things he should have focused on, in particular crime’

AFTER the defection earthquake in Westminster a week ago the Labour group is wondering, “who will be next?”

The Extra reported on West End ward councillor Paul Fisher’s shock announcement last Thursday evening that he was quitting the party he joined age 15 for the Conservatives.

Sir Sadiq Khan’s takeover of the Oxford Street pedestrianisation was the final straw for the politician who also said he had become increasingly unhappy with the party’s fiscal moves.

The leader of the Conservative group on Westminster City Council Paul Swaddle said “no comment” when asked if any more defections were expected in the coming months.

But a source suggested that Labour city council and group leader Adam Hug “would be keeping a close eye on a couple” of his elected representatives.

There was a time in politics when a move from Labour to Conservative was unthinkable, but with Sir Keir Starmer at the helm many newly-elected politicians will be looking at the parties as two peas in the same pod.

Labour, which sensationally swept the Tories out of power in Westminster for the first time in history in 2022, have seen their majority slashed to just two councillors following by-election defeats and the defection.

Labour campaigner Andrew Murray, a long-time West End ward resident, called out Cllr Fisher’s defection on social media, suggesting that “resignation would be the honourable course”.

He said: “You were elected to do one thing on Westminster Council, not on the GLA or as an MP, but you’re choosing to do another without electoral support. By all means try to persuade voters to support the ‘new you’, but don’t assume they’re OK with it.”

Cllr Fisher responded: “I’m a political activist and citizen who has increasingly agreed with the Con national platform and disagreed with Labour’s decision to renege on its commitments.”