Conservative councillors defect to Reform UK

Barry Dunning (R) is one of the councillors who have defected to Reform UK from the Conservative Party

Hampshire and Dorset councillors are among 20 Conservatives to have announced they are defecting to Reform UK.

Lymington councillor Barry Dunning, who sits on Hampshire County Council, said it was his "freedom-day", as the move was made during the four-day Conservative Party Conference.

Kinson ward councillors Duane Farr and Cameron Adams will now become the first from Reform UK to sit on Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.

And Basingstoke and Deane Borough councillor, Paul Miller, a former mayor of the town, said he made the decision to defect because he believed people had become disillusioned with the Conservative Party.

Cllr Miller added he thought people were "fed up with the language that comes out of parliamentary politicians, whatever colour they are, they're fed up with double talk, double standards, double speak, no-one wants that, they want a clear vision of what's ahead and stability and none of the other major parties are doing that".

He went on to say it was not the local party he was angry with as he felt they'd done their best, adding and he would still represent his constituents as well as he could.

Local policies on parking an issue

Cllr Barry Dunning said he made the decision because his politics no longer aligned with the Conservative Party's, particularly as he has been campaigning against parking restrictions on Lymington High Street.

He said the parking scheme was introduced by the county council and intended to be rolled out to local areas like New Milton, Hythe and Romsey but never was.

He said Lymington had instead seen the closure of 27 shops because of parking restrictions and even though the county council made £60,000 in parking fees it was "drop in the ocean" compared to the money lost in business rates.

"There have been many sleepless nights and a lot of heart searching. I will be working hard for Reform.

"It is a day of freedom to speak my mind," he added.

A spokesperson for Reform UK said they were "delighted to have Barry on board".

'Significant bet'

BCP Councillor Duane Farr said moving to Reform UK was "something that I have been thinking about for a while" as he did not think the Conservative Party had "managed Brexit properly".

All councillors in the Kinson ward in Bournemouth are now no longer with the same party when they were elected in the 2023 local elections. Cllr Michelle Dower also resigned from the Labour Party Group in August and now sits as an independent.

Conservative MP, Richard Fuller, who is the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said those who had defected had made "quite a significant risked bet".

"I've always thought that what is most important is to stick by the principles of conservatism, that family is the foundations of society, we believe in the defence of the country and we believe most importantly in a sound economy, and we feel Reform is abandoning some – not all – but some of those principles quite significantly," he said.

The Conservative Party has been contacted for a response.