A YOUNG councillor had "the worst 24 hours of his life" when he defected from Labour to the Tories before dramatically changing his mind just hours later.

Matthew Courtliff announced he was defecting just five months after being elected to the Lydiard and Freshbrook ward on Swindon borough council.

3 Councillor Matthew Courtliff decided to defect from Labour to the Tories Credit: BBC

The news was warmly welcomed by the Tories, including the MP for South Swindon who welcomed Mr Courtliff to the party.

Writing on Twitter, Robert Buckland said: “Delighted to welcome #Swindon Councillor Matthew Courtliff to @conservatives. The right choice for his family and our country @theresa_may”

And the Swindon Conservatives tweeted: “Welcome @mecourtliff to Swindon @conservatives - @robertbuckland @jtomlinsonmp @cllrdavidrenard & the team working hard for #Swindon”.

3 Matthew Courtliff said he decided to defect to the Tories because the 'direction of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn has been out of touch with the needs of the country' Credit: PA

Mr Courtliff told the Swindon Advertiser: “Unfortunately, the direction of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn has been out of touch with the needs of the country, and with my son’s birth seven weeks away, I have had to make a decision for his future, my residents’ future and the country’s future, and I look forward to Theresa May’s leadership.”

Swindon Labour leader Councillor Jim Grant blasted Mr Courtliff, saying: “To join the Conservative Party five months after being elected as a Labour councillor for a four-year term is a terribly dishonourable position and represents the worst about politics.

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“I really don’t know how Councillor Courtliff will be able to justify his decision to the 1,421 people in Lydiard and Freshbrook Ward who voted for him as a Labour candidate.”

But he has now made a dramatic u-turn, declaring he made “a terrible mistake” and describing the events as “the most stupid 24 hours of my life”.

In a statement yesterday he said: “It has been an incredibly difficult two days and having spent some time meeting with Conservative councillors and MPs yesterday, I have come to the conclusion that I made a mistake in thinking that joining the Conservative Party was right for me or my constituents.

3 Councillor Matthew Courtliff (pictured on election night) now says his priority is to put the whole incident behind him Credit: BBC

“My home is in the Labour Party and I owe a huge apology to my council colleagues, fellow party members and my constituents who have watched this unfold.

“My priority is now to re-join my colleagues, work hard for my constituents in Lydiard and Freshbrook and to put this all behind me."