Councillor who defected from Reform told to resign

A Reform UK politician is facing calls to resign after her defection resulted in the Conservatives gaining overall control of a council.

Labour said Kathy Gibbon should stand down after she left Reform UK and joined the Tories on Buckinghamshire Council.

Gibbon, who represents the Kingsbrook, Bierton and Wing ward, was elected for Reform last year, but announced her defection this week claiming the move would "allow me to work more effectively as part of a strong, experienced team".

Reform UK councillor Cameron Anderson said voters would "now feel a great sense of dissatisfaction and injustice", while Labour called for a by-election.

The Conservatives lost 29 seats and their huge majority on the council last May.

Anderson, whose party now has two seats on the council, added: "We are surging in almost every opinion poll.

"Why anyone would want to jump to the Tories, I am not sure. It's a bit like buying a golden ticket to the Titanic knowing it's going to hit the iceberg."

Labour's Eris Robertson said the move was "just a slap in the face of voters".

"We are calling for a by-election in councillor Gibbon's ward so voters can decide whether they wish for her to continue to represent them under a new party," said Robertson, who is chairman of Aylesbury Labour Party, but not a councillor.

He added that if Gibbon "believes her decision reflects the views of local people, the appropriate and honourable course of action is to stand down and seek a fresh mandate".

The Tories had been in charge of the council as the largest party, but they did not have an overall majority of seats.

Steven Broadbent, Conservative council leader, said his new colleague "was solely focused on what is best for her and best for Buckinghamshire... and she fully agrees with our positive agenda".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service Gibbon said: "It's clear from my discussions with Steven Broadbent, the budget proposals and the positive corporate peer review that the vision for Bucks is focused on delivering for residents both now and in the future."

Buckinghamshire Council now consists of four political groups:

• Conservative Group - 49 councillors
• Liberal Democrat Group - 27
• Impact Alliance (Labour, Independents, Greens) - 19
• Reform UK Group - 2

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.