Former Lib Dem Mayor of Islington Cllr Joan Coupland has left the party and joined Labour, reports the Islington Gazette.
She accused the Lib-Dems of running a “dictatorial regime” and claimed they were “failing to listen” to residents, especially the elderly.
“I’ve been a Lib-Dem most of my life so this has not been an easy decision,” said Councillor Coupland, 63. “But it is a dictatorial regime and I just can’t cope with it any more.
“I want to represent the people who voted for me and I just can’t do that any more. When I complained about it, I was told, ‘tough’.”
She added: “Under the Lib-Dems, older people are getting a raw deal. Places like the Claremont have been closed and I’ve had no guarantees over the future of the Alsen or the Drovers.
“We owe the elderly a debt of gratitude and the best way to repay that is to look after them and keep these places open.”
Councillor Coupland continued: “The Lib-Dems have lost the plot. They are not listening.”