TALK about a cross-party coalition - two councillors from rival parties are getting married this summer after forging a romantic bond across the political divide.
Liberal Democrat Martin Pantling and Labour’s Jacqui Burnett’s nuptials are set for July 23, with the reception taking place at Luton Rugby Club.
The pair, both their 40s, met while working with the community in the wake of attacks on homes in Selbourne Road, Luton, in 2008.
Cllr Burnett said: “It just blossomed from there. We’re both very passionate about the town.”
The pair became engaged last February, and say that while they enjoy healthy debate about national politics, local goings-on within their respective parties are kept out of their relationship.
She added: “When we got together we made it clear that whatever we knew about our own parties we would keep confidential. We talk about general politics – in the run-up to the general election last year we had posters for both the Lib Dem and Labour candidates in our window.”
And here are other changes ahead for Cllr Burnett this year. She has represented High Town since 2006, but the local Labour party has selected two new candidates to contest the ward in this year’s local elections.
Fighting for the High Town seats, which are both currently held by Labour, will be two friends of Luton South MP Gavin Shuker from his Cambridge University days, Roxanna Whittaker and Andy Malcolm.
Cllr Burnett has been selected to fight for a seat in the Limbury ward instead.
She said: “It wasn’t my choice not to represent High Town and I don’t know what the members’ reasons were. But I respect their views, and I will do my best for Limbury.
“Both Limbury and High Town are marginal wards, so whoever wins in High Town will have a significant amount of work to do.”