Tory to Reform UK defection cuts council majority

Northallerton's County Hall, where North Yorkshire Council is based

A North Yorkshire Conservative councillor has defected to Reform UK, claiming the Tories are "over".

The departure of Karl Arthur left the authority's controlling group, made of Conservative and Independents, with a majority of just one.

Arthur said he had made the change because "only Nigel Farage's party have the answers to the biggest problems facing the country".

Carl Les, the council's Conservative leader, said he was "very disappointed" at his former colleague's departure.

The Conservatives lost their narrow overall majority on the council in 2023, and now govern with the support of some independents. The next North Yorkshire Council elections are in 2027.

Arthur has represented his current division - Cliffe and North Duffield - since 2022, and before that represented the Selby Barlby division from 2017.

He was one of a number of former Conservative councillors nationwide to announce defections to Reform, in a move which coincided with the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.

'Cross-party lines'

He said: "Having been a member of the Conservative Party for 33 years now, I am finding it more and more difficult to know what they actually stand for."

Les said he knew nothing about Arthur's decision until it was announced, but it was for individual members to have their views as to which political party they want to support.

There were no concerns about the Conservative and Independent majority on the council being cut to one, Les said.

He added: "Many decisions of the council are taken on cross-party lines with the strength of the argument being the deciding factor.

"We work with other parties, and other groups and even individual councillors."

Arthur's defection brings the number of Reform members on North Yorkshire council to three.

Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake, who is also Conservative Party chairman, said - ahead of his party's conference - that he was feeling "optimistic and upbeat."

"We're the only party that is right of centre on the economy. That is quite clear. All the other parties have huge spending plans," Hollinrake said.

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