Changing sides in politics seems to happen a lot in Spain and can change the whole philosophy of a council.In the Vall de Laguar it has caused something of a rumpus .The former Esquerra Republican councillor of Vall de Laguar ,Manel Barber,has defected to the PP party .Last week he was villified by members of his original party when he attended a council meeting at which the PP forced through a censure motion and unseated the socialist Juan Jose Puchol.This allowed the PP councillor ,Paco Gilabert, to take over the reigns.The new Mayor alluded to the fact that the council was not functioning under the leadership of Sr Puchol.He also said that Sr Puchol had lost all support.He also mentioned the forthcoming court case where Sr Puchol faces charges of corruption .
The outgoing Mayor spoke of the defection and intimated that he had defected because he was unable to do the job of deputy Mayor,councillor for tourism,agriculture and the environment.Many see this as being elected by the back door on the part of the PP.They claim that this is a deliberate policyand that exactly the same thing has happened in other towns.They will then impose their own policies before the next election in two years time.
The new Mayor has discounted these accusations and stresses that it is the wellbeing of the town which they want to foster.Sr Puchol has said that the motivation for the censure motion was greed.
