Tories lose county council majority after defection

The Conservatives now have 26 councillors - one short of an overall majority

The Conservative party has lost its overall majority on Gloucestershire County Council after one of its members defected to the Green Party.

The Conservatives have been running the council since 2005. Following the defection, the Conservatives are reduced to 26 councillors, compared to 27 non-Conservative elected councillors from other parties, including one independent.

Sue Williams, who has represented Bisley and Painswick division since 2021 as a Conservative councillor said she could no longer support them due to losing faith in the party nationally.

Tory cabinet member David Gray said he did not believe defections were "appropriate". A spokesperson for the Green Party councillors said they welcomed her to their group.

Sue Williams (pictured) has been a councillor since 2021

Ms Williams took the decision to join the Green Group at Shire Hall on Friday and said she had "grown increasingly disillusioned and angry" over the past few months.

"I cannot - morally or ethically - ignore my conflicting views as an individual and as a Conservative Party member," she said.

The Bisley and Painswick Councillor added that she can no longer defend the party's stance on many issues including "the treatment of asylum seekers" and why the benefits system is "so very difficult for those in need to navigate".

Explaining why she had joined the Green Party as opposed to sitting as an independent, she said: "I feel very aligned with their policies and vision for the future."

Councillor Cate Cody, Leader of the GCC Green group, said: “I'm sure this will have been a difficult decision for Sue, and I respect her greatly for taking a principled stand. I'm delighted to have a fellow Green county councillor in the Stroud area now, and I look forward to working together, especially on our shared aspirations for nature recovery and thriving rural communities."

She added: "All of us have worked with Sue on various committees and we know her to be a councillor who is gentle, compassionate and conscientious. We appreciate her diligence and admire her determination to do the right thing for her constituents, regardless of party politics. We are very happy to welcome her to the Green group.”

Tory cabinet member David Gray told the BBC he did not think Ms Williams' defection was "an appropriate thing to do".

"Personally, I think it's regrettable when people are elected under one party and then defect from the party," he said.

"I don't think that's really an appropriate thing to do, especially when we're only a year out from the county council elections."

Despite their current numbers, Mr Gray is hopeful the Conservatives can remain in power.

"What this current administration is doing is very much positive for the county, so I hope we don't get distracted by party politics when we've got big things like Junction 9 and Junction 10," he said.

Gloucestershire County Council is next up for election in May 2025.

The political make up of the council is now:

Conservatives: 26

Liberal Democrats: 16

Labour: 5

Green: 5

Independent: 1