Reform hits back at Dudley Tory leader for ‘not having the courage’ to trigger by-elections

Cllrs James Clinton and Jason Thorne announced they had jumped ship to Reform on November 9 sparking calls for them to stand down as Dudley councillors for Pedmore.

The change cuts the Conservative group on the 72-seat authority to 33 councillors which means the Tories remain as the largest single party and in charge of the council.

The council’s Conservative leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, says the pair should stand down but their new party’s spokesperson disagrees.

Marco Longhi, for Reform UK, said: “Councillors were elected to serve their residents, not to serve a political party. They are continuing to do exactly that.

“If Cllr Harley believes every councillor who loses confidence in their party should resign, then he should apply that principle consistently across the chamber. Voters judge councillors on their work, not their rosette.”

The latest Tory defectors were contacted directly by the Local Democracy Reporting Service but provided responses via Mr Longhi.

Reform rejected the allegation from Cllr Harley that the defectors are ‘failed Conservatives’.

Mr Longhi said: “People are leaving the Conservatives precisely because the party no longer represents conservative values or the people they serve.

“Reform UK is attracting former Conservatives, former Labour voters, lifelong non-voters and huge numbers of people who feel completely abandoned by the old parties.”

National Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she was not worried about defections from her party to Reform.

Ms Badenoch told the BBC: “I’m not worried, the fact of the matter is that we made mistakes in government; my job is to draw a line under that.

“Deciding you’re going to jump to an easier party because they’re doing well in the polls, that’s not going to work.

“I would also say that if people aren’t tough enough to deal with difficult times then they’re not tough enough to run a government.”

Mr Longhi said the two new Reform recruits in Dudley have already explained their decision to constituents and added: “Residents in Pedmore know these councillors work hard for them and always have.

“The badge may have changed, but the commitment to serve residents has not.”