Reform Councillor Defects to Tories After ‘Seeing Nigel’s Party From the Inside’
- On July 17, James Buchan, Dartford Borough councillor, won Stone House ward as a Reform UK candidate but has since switched to the Conservative Party.
- Buchan said he grew uncomfortable with Reform's rhetoric and criticised plans to remove Indefinite Leave to Remain, adding the party lacks experience and ambition to run local services.
- In recent weeks, a leaked KCC recording led to internal fallout, with five councillors expelled and Reform UK's County Hall seats falling from 57 to 81 since May.
- On Friday, Cllr Jeremy Kite confirmed and welcomed Buchan to the Tories, with Dartford council now controlled by Conservatives 28, Labour 10, Reform UK 2, Green 1, Independent 1.
- Regardless of the defection, Reform UK has gained 112 new councillors since May 1, but critics warn its cohesion faces risks before the next general election.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Chaos! Reform has lost 5% of all councillors elected just six months ago
This makes for sobering reading. Despite sweeping the local elections back in May, Reform’s promise to shake up regional governments and councils has simply not gone to plan. Dozens of councillors elected just six months ago have now left the party in some capacity. ALSO READ: Female grooming gang survivors call on Nigel Farage to issue apology Where have the Reform councillors gone? Of the 677 councillors wearing the light blue rosettes on poll…
Reform councillor defects to Tories after becoming 'uncomfortable' with party
James Buchan said he wanted to be able to "look my family in the eye and say, 'that's not who I am'" after his former party announced plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain.
Reform councillor switches to Tories after becoming ‘uncomfortable’ with party
James Buchan accused the party of having ‘a pretty unfortunate way of treating people’.
Reform councillor DEFECTS to Tories after 'feeling uncomfortable' in party
A Reform UK councillor has defected to the Conservatives, saying that once he had the opportunity to see Nigel Farage's party "from the inside", he found it did not have the experience or ambition to serve the community.Dartford Borough Council member, James Buchan, was confirmed to have joined the party on Friday by the Conservative council leader, Jeremy Kite.Mr Buchan will now be sitting with the Conservatives, which is the majority group whi…
Another Reform councillor jumps ship - are the Farage fascists falling apart?
Dartford Borough Reform ‘party‘ councillor James Buchan has defected to the Tories, just three months after winning election in Stone House ward as a Reform candidate. Buchan’s resignation statement notes that “the more I saw of Reform the more uncomfortable I felt” – and goes on to become even more damning for the slogans, abuse, racism and lack of interest in helping people of Farage’s party: I stood for election with the sole aim of working f…
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