Skip to content

Conservative councillor defects to Reform UK

Laura CoffeyNorthamptonshire political reporter
News imageReform UK A woman wearing glasses with round frames smiling at the camera. She has blonde hair and is wearing a red collared jumper.Reform UK
Jennie Bone was re-elected as a Conservative councillor in May 2025

A long-standing conservative councillor has defected to Reform UK.

Jennie Bone, who represents the Higham Ferrers ward on North Northamptonshire Council, has joined the party which runs the unitary authority.

Bone said she was "delighted", adding she looked forward "to working closely with my new colleagues and officers to achieve the best for our residents".

The leader of the Conservative group, Helen Harrison, said she was "gutted by the news".

In her statement, Bone said: "After being elected as a Conservative council member, I no longer believe their values and policies align with my own.

"In order to best represent my own views, and the views of my community, I have joined the only party I believe can deliver the change we all need and deserve."

Last month, she stood down from Higham Ferrers Town Council.

She is the ex-wife of the former Conservative MP for Wellingborough, Peter Bone, who lost his seat after being removed by constituents in a recall petition.

Welcoming her to Reform UK, the leader of North Northamptonshire Council, Martin Griffiths, said she would be a "positive addition".

He added that she brought "a great deal of local government experience" and was "deeply passionate about her community".

Harrison said she found Bone's decision hard to understand.

"Jennie is a good friend and we have worked closely together over the last few years," she said.

"The only people on North Northants Council who are standing up for Conservative values are the Conservative group."

Bone is the second Conservative councillor to leave the group in a week. The first was Bill McElhinney.

He said: "I left the Conservative Party of my own accord to sit as an independent.

"I do not have any intentions to join another political party."

News imageLaura Coffey/BBC Three men standing in a row celebrating victory at an election-night count in a sports hall. The man on the left is smiling and holding his clenched left fist in the air in triumph. He is wearing a candidate's lanyard and a blue Conservative rosette. He has a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a tie. The man in the centre is looking at the camera and smiling. He is holding two clenched fists in the air. He also has a Conservative rosette and a tie. The third man on the right is wearing glasses, is also smiling and has his fists in the air. He is wearing a grey suit, a white shirt and a tie. He also has a Conservative rosette.Laura Coffey/BBC
Bill McElhinney (left) was re-elected in May 2025 to the Desborough ward with Harry Howes (centre) and David Howes (right)

The political make-up of the 68-seat council is now:

  • 41 Reform UK councillors
  • 11 Conservative
  • eight Green
  • four Labour
  • one Liberal Democrat
  • three Independent

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story
Related internet links