A Rochdale councillor from the staunchly pro-EU Liberal Democrats has defected to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.

Councillor Kath Nickson, who had defected to the Lib Dems from the Labour Party six months ago, made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that her former party’s stance to remain in the EU would be “catastrophic for democracy”, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Ms Nickson, who represents the ward of Balderstone and Kirkholt, said: “The national Lib Dem policy of remaining in the European Union is against what I believe in. Three years ago we voted, as a country to leave the EU.

“This democratic decision — having been made — has not been honoured by the Tory government and we are now, I believe, facing either a no deal Brexit or not leaving at all. The first will be catastrophic for jobs, the second catastrophic for democracy.”

She added that as the people of Rochdale had voted leave in the 2016 vote, she felt duty-bound to “represent[] them in their decision”.

Farage Plans ‘Northern Attack’ on Brexit Heartland Abandoned by Labour https://t.co/jcuKRTlPiQ — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 22, 2019

Councillor Nickson is the second Rochdale local lawmaker to defect to The Brexit Party, after West Heywood region councillor Alan McCarthy left the Labour Party last week for Nigel Farage’s group, while fellow former Labour Party councillor and former leader of Rochdale council Colin Lambert also joined the Brexit Party.

On Tuesday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced the party would officially back a second referendum and would back Remain in such a vote.