WHITEHILL Town Council has voted in a Liberal Democrat leader, despite having a Conservative majority, in what’s been described as a “devious act of treachery”.

At the council’s annual meeting last Monday night, Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Waterhouse was elected leader, beating former Conservative leader councillor Adam Carew by seven votes to six.

Fellow Tory councillor Ian Georgii nominated Mr Carew to return as leader for a second term, and said the “temerity” of the three “vainglorious (Conservative) councillors” who voted against him was “beyond the pale”.

“I am shocked to the core that three Conservative councillors, one with considerable experience, should choose to vote against Mr Carew as leader of the council, causing a swing to Liberal Democrat after only one year of successful Conservative leadership,” Mr Georgii said.

“Mr Carew lost out to a single vote. Not only have three traitorous Conservatives let their party down, they have let the town down just at the point of its expansion.”

He said two of the Conservative councillors - Leslie Webber and Chris Mitchell - who voted in favour of Mr Waterhouse seem “on a headlong bid for power”. The third Conservative to openly back the Liberal Democrat option was Tony Muldoon.

“It was my democratic view,” Mr Muldoon said after the meeting. “I thought Alan would make a good leader. There was no malice and it was my own choice.”

He insisted there was no political motive, and when asked if it was an issue for a majority Conservative council to be ruled by a Liberal Democrat, Mr Muldoon said there was “no problem at all”. “We’ve always been a cross-party council,” he added.

But it seems other Conservatives do see the decision as a problem, and were visibly shocked following the vote, exchanging notes and whispers for the remainder of the meeting.

“Mr Muldoon has no excuse to bolster or defend his position,” Mr Georgii added. “He has several years of experience, which makes his vote strange.”

Mr Georgii said he hoped “central office (would) deal rapidly and summarily with these untrustworthy, devious and unreliable councillors”.

Conservative Mr Mitchell explained that he was elected to serve the residents of Hogmoor ward and “to use that privilege in their best interests, which I believe I do”. “I also have a democratic right to vote for whom it is considered has the right credentials and practical experience for each post,” he said. “Politics and parties have their place, however, in our local situation. Bearing in mind that all councillors give their time freely, it is essential the colour of their political persuasion is considered but, not necessarily, the deciding factor and to encourage cross-party cooperation is essential.”

Tory Ms Webber echoed these sentiments and said that members “all have the democratic right to vote as we choose”. “We must remember that the politics isn’t the be all at this level,” she said. “It’s more about all working together to achieve the best we can, no matter which political party we support.”

New leader Mr Waterhouse, who was abroad so was unable to attend the meeting, said he was “in shock” that he had been elected following his nomination by Liberal Democrat councillor and outgoing mayor Sally Pond.

“I put myself forward to give those who did not want to vote for Mr Carew an opportunity to use their vote rather than abstain,” he said. “Much to my surprise I was emailed after the meeting and advised that I had been elected leader of Whitehill Town Council.

“I am looking forward to working across the parties in moving Whitehill and Bordon forward as the next phase of the town development will begin within the next 12 months.”

It is a familiar situation for Mr Carew who resigned from the council following a leadership challenge in 2013. Then a Liberal Democrat, Mr Carew was beaten in a close vote by fellow Liberal Democrat Andy Tree, who led the council until last year when he lost his seat. The dispute led to Mr Carew crossing the floor to the Conservatives.

The town council is made up of eight Conservatives, five Liberal Democrats and a UKIP representative.

After the meeting Mr Carew said it was a bit like “deja vu”, but he had “no intention” of reacting in a similar way. “You have to take it with a pinch of salt, laugh it off and just get on with it,” he said.

But he did admit it was “a real pity” the vote went as it did. He said: “There is a real issue of democracy here as the people of Whitehill and Bordon elected the Conservatives to run the council, yet this has been overturned in an instant by the Liberal Democrats with the aid of defector Tories. What right have they to overturn the democratic wishes of the people?”

Mark Davison was elected deputy leader.