Deselected Tory councillor Sury Khatri has backed the Liberal Democrats to win in the ward that he has represented for eight years.

Councillor Khatri, who resigned from the Conservative group following his deselection in March, endorsed Lib Dem candidates Richard Logue, Donna Pickup and Roger Tichborne, who are running for the Mill Hill ward in the May 3 council elections.

Cllr Khatri said: “It’s time for a change in Mill Hill. Vote Liberal Democrat – you won’t get a better and more energetic team for Mill Hill ward than Richard Logue, Donna Pickup and Roger Tichborne.”

The endorsement comes after Cllr Khatri backed Labour to take the Hale ward in a dramatic speech to the council’s Audit Committee on April 19.

In the speech, Cllr Khatri hit out at the council’s Conservative deputy leader, Dan Thomas, blaming him for his deselection and claiming he was behind a right-wing, pro-Brexit coup in the party.

He was also highly critical of outsourcing firm Capita, which has provided a wide range of services for the council since 2013.

Capita today (April 23) announced a pre-tax loss of more than £500m and pledged to cut costs by £175m a year in a bid to shore up its finances.

The Liberal Democrats are keen to retake the Mill Hill ward, which they held from 1994 to 2010, in May’s elections.

They currently have one seat on the council, which is occupied by Jack Cohen in the Childs Hill ward.

Lib Dem candidate Richard Logue said: “This is a fantastic endorsement from a well-liked councillor who has been stabbed in the back by his party.

“Having worked with Mr Khatri on the NW7Hub Project in Mill Hill I can say that he is a man of great integrity. His support for a better community and his serious concerns about the One Barnet contracts should be listened to and not silenced.”

Leader of Barnet Council Richard Cornelius commented: “Cllr Khatri was out campaigning with the Lib Dems on Saturday and with Labour on Sunday. We’ll leave it to voters to make up their own minds about that.”