Councillor rejoins Tories after leaving for Reform

A councillor who defected to Reform UK from the Conservatives rejoined the Tories in the same week after he said he had "made a mistake".

Alistair Hendry, who represents Burnham-on-Sea on Somerset Council, returned to the Conservatives only four days after leaving.

He said he "acted in haste and, true to the old saying, repented at leisure".

Reform UK has been approached for comment.

Hendry added: "I have always shared the values of the Conservatives, and I intend to stand again under its banner to represent local residents with honesty, hard work and commitment."

Hendry said that politics could sometimes become dominated by headlines, "rather than hard work".

"While media attention may come and go, it is ultimately substance, delivery, and accountability that matter most to the communities we serve," he said.

"I recognise that the Conservative Party is best placed locally to hold the Liberal Democrat's to account in Somerset, and that Ashley Fox MP is doing a great job holding the government to account in Westminster.

"My priority remains the same as it has always been: to work hard for the people I represent and to earn their trust through actions, not words," he added.

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