Tory councillors turn independent over devolution

Anders Linder, John Whitehead, Lavinia Hadingham and James Caston have formed a new indendents group

Four Conservative councillors have resigned from their party after they were "appalled and dismayed" by their Tory colleagues "jumping on the Labour devolution bandwagon".

Mid Suffolk District councillors James Caston, Lavinia Hadingham, Anders Linder and John Whitehead have became independent, leaving just three Conservative representatives on the authority.

The newly formed Mid Suffolk Independents oppose the government's Devolution White Paper, which outlines changes to how local councils are structured and administered.

Acting Leader of the Conservative group at the district council, Harry Richardson, said the party was "sorry to see them go," but wished them all the "very best".

The resignations will not affect control of the council as the Green Party continues to hold the majority of seats.

Prior to the 2023 elections, the council was run by a 16-seat minority Conservative administration.

What changes could happen in Suffolk?

The Labour government's Devolution White Paper, published in December, outlined plans to scrap two-tier councils and replace them with strategic authorities - and an overseeing mayor.

In Suffolk, this could mean two large councils providing all services and a mayor for Suffolk and Norfolk. All six of Suffolk's councils would disappear.

Earlier this month, Suffolk County Council voted by a majority, to apply to be part of the government's Devolution Priority Programme (DPP).

It would support areas to hold elections in May 2026 for a directly elected mayor, cancelling this year's county council elections.

It's not clear if the new authorities - which would cover a population of at least 500,000 - would also be in place by May 2026, or what their boundaries would be.

What have the new independent councillors said?

Independents are not tied to a particular political party, but still carry out the same duties and responsibilities as councillors who are.

In a statement, the Mid Suffolk Independents - who have a combined 35 years of experience as district councillors - raised concerns that the government's plan would "abolish the middle tier of local government".

They said that plans to postpone this May's election and the prospect of a "shadow" council with new unitary authorities meant councillors would "extend their likely term in office from four years to possibly seven years, serving unelected beyond their period of mandate and without any prior consultation with residents".

They also said their former party had "readily accepted the abolition of the borough and district councils which provide many valuable core universal services delivered locally to their residents."

What response has there been?

Andy Mellen, the leader of Mid Suffolk Council, said: "We welcome and respect that four of our opposition colleagues have acted in accordance with their values and conscience and, we believe, in the best interests of our residents and the communities we serve.

"We understand the difficulty of the decision they have made and look forward to a growing degree of pragmatic collaboration."

The government believes fewer councils with more responsibilities could save money and provide a better service.

It previously said merging councils could save £2bn.

Speaking on behalf of the local Conservative party, Richardson said: "We are sorry to see them leave but they remain good friends and valued colleagues, and we wish them all the very best."