Yorkshire councillors among 20 in wave of defections to Reform UK
Two Yorkshire councillors are among 20 to have defected to Reform UK as Kemi Badenoch admits her party is “shedding a lot of baggage”.
The party chose the second day of the Conservative Party conference to unveil the wave of defections, which include former Conservative councillor Denise Howard and North Yorkshire councillor Karl Arthur.
The boost to Reform UK’s ranks in town halls throughout the country follows several wins in the May elections earlier this year. Reform UK now controls 12 councils.
Councillor Howard, who represents East Wolds and Coastal Ward on East Riding Council and had previously been a member of the Conservative party, said she “feels let down by so many broken promises.”
She said: “The Conservative Party is over. Only Reform UK can deliver the change Britain needs. Kemi Badenoch told her party conference that change won’t be easy, but we simply don’t have the time for dither and delay. The Conservatives are playing catch-up and have lost their credibility.”
Councillor Arthur represents Cliffe & North Duffield division for the Conservatives and Independents and also sits on Selby town council.
But Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch said she would measure her party’s success “at the next general election”.
She told LBC Radio: “The last oppositions were 14, 13, 18 years. I’ve been doing the job 11 months.
“This conference is where we are showing the direction of travel: a stronger economy, stronger borders and that we’re the only party tough enough and competent enough to deliver both.”
Asked why her party was losing supporters, Mrs Badenoch added: “What we are doing is shedding a lot of the baggage of the last 14 years.
“I remember last year we had people defecting to Labour because Labour was doing well in the polls. Now we have people defecting to Reform because Reform is doing well in the polls.
“We need people who are in our party for the right reasons.”
The North West Essex MP also said she was “very sorry that some people believe that they cannot wait” but warned she “will not be rushed into making mistakes”.
A Tory source criticised Mrs Badenoch’s response to the defections, saying they had made the Conservatives “sound like a protest party”, and expressed concern more could follow ahead of her speech on Wednesday.
Mr Farage said: “The Conservative Party is dead and can no longer serve as an effective Opposition.
“It is no wonder that councillors who actually want to fix this country are finding their natural home with Reform.“
Reform UK secured 677 seats at the local elections in May and took over several formerly Conservative-controlled authorities including Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and West Northamptonshire.
The party also gained Doncaster from Labour.
East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger left the Conservatives last month to join Reform.