Councillors quit Tory party and form new group

Torbay Council said the leader of the council and Cabinet would remain the same

Two members of Torbay Council have left the Conservative Party and formed a new group.

Katya Maddison and Patrick Joyce, who represent Shiphay and Wellswood wards, have quit the Tories and formed a new group called Prosper Torbay.

They say they are fed up with the Tory leadership and want to stand up for the people of Torbay.

The Conservatives remain in control of Torbay Council and the Tory leader has called on the pair to face by-elections.

The change means that the political composition of the council will now be Conservative 17 seats, Liberal Democrats 15 seats, Independent Group two seats and Prosper Torbay two seats.

Torbay Council said the leader of the council and the cabinet would remain the same.

Subsequent changes to the memberships of some of the council's committees will be discussed at the next meeting of the council.

The rebels criticised the Tory administration for neglecting the high street and failing to tackle homelessness and housing, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Ms Maddison and Mr Joyce said in a joint statement: "There’s a lot of good stuff going on in Torbay with devolution and big capital projects lining up, but if history has taught us anything it’s that the devil is in the detail, and we would encourage the administration to be focused on that too.

"We want to be free to challenge projects while they’re still being formulated so we can avoid the fiascos of the past."

'Fragile' businesses

The councillors described high street businesses in Torbay as "fragile".

The statement said: "What lies ahead of us is so exciting, but we must link investment with the other crucial changes that will make the difference, and that doesn’t happen unless there are people actively pushing for them.

"Our purpose is working for all residents of Torbay who are at the heart of everything we look to do and achieve, and we continue as ward councillors to serve our communities in very difficult and uncertain times."

Council leader David Thomas said he was "really disappointed" they were going.

He said there would be questions for the pair to answer from the people who elected them in May.

He said: “Are they going to their communities for a by-election? I think they should.

“It was only five months ago that they stood and were elected on a Conservative ticket, and a lot of people will have been voting for a manifesto and a certain direction of travel."