Plymouth: Ex-Tory and Labour councillors create new group

Chaz Singh, Nick Kelly and Terri Beer have founded the group as the city council is in a state of no overall control

Three senior Plymouth councillors including the former Tory leader have created a new independent group.

Nick Kelly, Terri Beer and Chaz Singh are the founders of the Independent Alliance Group on the city council.

Mr Kelly said they "share common beliefs and values" and "want the very best" for residents and businesses.

The council is in a state of no overall control following Mr Kelly's departure from the Conservatives in March following a vote of no confidence.

Mr Kelly claims he resigned after being deselected by the Tories, accusing senior members of the party of pursuing an "ongoing vendetta" against him, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The Plymouth Conservatives, in a statement reported by Plymouth Live, responded by saying Mr Kelly had been suspended pending an investigation following "several serious and different complaints and allegations made formally to our group executive team".

The 57-seat council now has 28 Conservatives, 24 Labour members, three Independents and two Green Party councillors.

Terri Beer, last year's lord mayor, resigned from Plymouth's Tory group days after Mr Kelly was replaced as leader by Richard Bingley in March.

The new alliance's third member, Chaz Singh, a former deputy lord mayor, has been an independent member for three years since resigning from the Labour group in 2019.