Downing Street party claims lead Cheshire councillor to quit

Cheshire East's Tory group leader Janet Clowes said the party "understand and respect" Ms Wylie's decision

A Conservative councillor who "worked tirelessly in the NHS" throughout the pandemic has quit the party amid the investigations into events held at Downing Street.

Nicky Wylie said her decision was linked to the alleged parties held at Number 10 during the Covid lockdowns.

She will now sit on Cheshire East Council as an independent.

Tory group leader Janet Clowes said the party understood and respected Ms Wylie's decision.

The Poynton East and Pott Shrigley councillor confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that her departure was connected entirely to the alleged parties and she had no issues at all with the Cheshire East Conservative group.

Ms Clowes, who issued a statement on behalf of Ms Wylie and the Conservative group, said the "hard-working and committed councillor" had came to the decision after carefully considering her position.

"Councillor Wylie has, from the outset of the pandemic, worked tirelessly in the NHS and with the vaccination programme, helping to protect the residents of Cheshire East," she said.

"As such, we understand and respect her decision in the light of recent national events."