The resignation of Camden s mayor is a blow for the ruling Liberal Democrat group, which has already lost two of its new councillors this term in highly dubious circumstances. Philip Thompson resigned after we exposed how he was trying to run his council

The resignation of Camden's mayor is a blow for the ruling Liberal Democrat group, which has already lost two of its new councillors this term in highly dubious circumstances.

Philip Thompson resigned after we exposed how he was trying to run his council affairs from a university in Arizona and Chris Basson stood down days after our revelations concerning his medical condition and social life. Like them, the mayor, Cllr Omar Faruque Ansari, was a new Lib Dem recruit at the last council elections.

It is important to state that Mr Ansari remains as a councillor and intends to answer the allegations made against him, as is only to be expected. But as he himself admits, it is difficult to chair meetings and represent the borough as its first citizen when allegations of this nature are ongoing. Against that background, there was no way he could stay as mayor.

After some 40 years of Labour rule in Camden, it was perhaps a surprise to the Lib Dems to have had so many councillors elected in 2006. But this trio of resignations will surely focus attention on the quality of candidates it puts forward for the next round of elections, now only weeks away.

For the Lib Dems, the timing of this latest misfortune within its ranks could scarcely have been worse.