Sandwell Conservative defectors 'were being deselected anyway' claim spurned Tories

The pair's former Conservative colleagues mocked the pair's political U-turn, along with Tories across the country online, claiming it was motivated by "deselection" and not a sudden conversion to socialism.

Annoyed long standing Labour members in the borough also voiced concerns the two were "saving their political skin in an election year" and had beliefs which were not in keeping with Labour.

Charlemont and Grove Vale Conservative Councillor Les Trumpeter tweeted his amusement at the defections, which had reduced the Sandwell Council Conservative grouping to eight.

He claimed Williams and Wilkes were "the two most right wing of the group" and claimed the pair were being deselected by the party before the defections.

More than 25,000 people saw Councillor Williams defection tweet with Conservatives from across the country slamming his decision.

Former West Midlands Conservative Region chairman Jim Cooper blasted Councillor Archer's defection.

He tweeted: "You weren’t so critical of the Conservative Party a few weeks ago when you were desperate to be readopted as the Conservative candidate in May.

"You were deselected and replaced by a better candidate. Extraordinary hypocrisy which doesn’t fool anyone."

Concerns about the pairs place in the Sandwell Labour group, which already had an iron grip on power but now has 62 councillors, were made by long-standing Sandwell Labour member.

One said: "We don't need them in our party, I get it makes good headlines but a more deserving Labour member should stand for Princes End.

"I never thought the Labour party would be home to Trumpesque right wingers who have made several worrying comments about abortion rights in the past as Councillor Williams has, I will be challenging him on these views."

However, Labour Wednesbury North Councillor Like Giles welcomed the two claiming it proved Sir Keir Starmer's transformation of the party.

He said: "People in Sandwell are seeing a changed Labour Party, both locally and nationally, and Councillors Williams and Wilkes have also seen that progress and want to be a part of it.

"As the Government Minister, Simon Hoare, said when he praised Sandwell Council last week in parliament - there have been 'significant improvements'. These improvements are as a direct result of the local Labour leadership.

We welcome people into the Labour Party who share our values and want to make a difference in our community. So, we're delighted to have two fantastic local councillors who work hard and deliver for their residents."

He added: "Residents in Sandwell are at the coalface of the cost-of-living crisis and the council is picking up the pieces. We're going to focus on delivering for people who are working hard but still getting clobbered by this government and having two councillors join us on that mission is welcome. That's more important than party politics."

Councillors David Wilkes and Archer Williams, chair and deputy chair respectively of Tipton and Wednesbury Conservatives, and were believed to be in dispute with West Bromwich West MP Shaun Bailey.

The defections ended a tumultuous week for the Tories in Sandwell with the chairman of the Sandwell Federation Councillor Jay Anandou being sacked for claiming leader Councillor David Fisher had been suspended.

Former leader of the Sandwell Conservatives Ray Nock, who was true blue for nearly 40 years, predicts more defections as the General Election approaches.

He said: "I’m not surprised by this; I see it all over the Midlands. Lots of local people know that after nearly 40 years in the Conservative Party rising to Conservative group leader I walked away, it appears others have too

"They Conservatives have ignored the people who once voted them in. The failures in our NHS, Police, lack of housing, with rising Crime and disorder All falls on their actions over the last 13 years."

Mr Nock, who is standing for the Reform Party in the General Election, invited Tories to join his party.

He said: "I’m proud to say I’ve now joined and represent Reform, I suggest other do too, we are a party who do listen to what people want."

The Conservative Party backed Fisher and denied he had been suspended, which would have been his second in two years, and distanced themselves from Old Warley Councillor Anandou and Rowley Laured Kalari, who sit as Independents.

Councillor Williams penned a personal statement after defecting to Labour, in which he accused the Tory government of "using their positions of power to make their allies and friends richer rather than the British people".

He said: "For me politics is simple, I am a local resident and want to enjoy better services and safer communities and want my constituents to be genuinely happy."