At last, Mark Barnard and Jenny Barnard-Langston have made their second big decision in a matter of months.

First, their marriage and, now, their defection to the Lib-Dems.

Thankfully, the Conservatives now know where they stand, no longer having to wait for Mark and Jenny to turn up to meetings or finding they cannot be traced.

I am thinking of all of us who worked tirelessly from early morn to late at night to try to elect someone whom we thought had only our interests at heart.

We have all been hoodwinked even to the extent that, one hot afternoon when we were delivering leaflets, Jenny was nowhere to be found.

Where was she? On the beach with Mark, eating ice cream, I believe.

We were loyal to her. Where was her loyalty? Now at least we have no need to worry where she has run to.

Running away does not pay at the end of the day.

-Audrey Buttimer, Deputy Chairman Political Hove Conservative Association