Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have updated a webpage after being told the group photo included a councillor who is now a Conservative.
The original image used on the 2023 Mayoral and Local Elections Survey webpage was taken in 2019 to promote that year’s election campaign.
At the time, councillor Sarah Gallagher was a Liberal Democrat.
However, she joined Bedford Borough Council’s Conservative Group in November 2021.
Councillor Graeme Coombes, the leader of the Conservative Group, said: “It is astonishing, that to support his tired and flagging campaign, the current LibDem Mayor has chosen to use a picture of a councillor who left his party 18 months ago, to join the Conservatives.
“Is he really so short of supporters and campaigners that he is resorting to using old photos from four years ago, to hide the fact that his support is ebbing away?”
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: “This was a mistake, and the photo has now been removed and replaced with one from this year.
“Though this seems like a rather desperate bid for attention from the Tories.”
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
