Lancashire Tories hit with double defection to Reform, as one departee blasts Badenoch, Sunak, Truss, Johnson and May

Matthew Salter and Ged Mirfin made the switch with less than two months to go until local elections to the authority.

They will both contest their current seats for their new party at the county poll on 1st May.

County Cllr Salter, who represents the Wyre Rural Central division, quit the Tories on Monday. He said he made the move because “the political establishment has become totally out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people”.

He added: “Neither Labour nor the Conservatives can be trusted to listen to the electorate or tackle the long term issues facing our country, from the economy to immigration and the lack of opportunities for young people.

County Cllr Mirfin said his change of allegiance, on Thursday, came amid growing disillusionment with the Tories at a national level – along with some elements of the party in Lancashire.

“I have not done this lightly,” he said in a statement.

“[I am concerned] the Conservative Party has entered into a death spiral and is currently led by the worst leader, in Kemi Badendoch, since IDS [Iain Duncan Smith] following four poor leaders – Liz Truss [who] crashed the economy…Rishi Sunak [who] hiked taxes to breaking point…Teresa May who made a mess of Brexit and Boris Johnson who ran a chaotic administration.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, County Cllr Mirfin – who was a Ribble Valley borough councillor between 2011 and 2023 – also hit out at what he claims has been “hurtful” treatment by his local Conservative Association, criticising a small group of individuals whom he says “sought very deliberately to get rid of me”.

“The attitude of the association leaves a very bad taste in the mouth and reflects very poorly on the Conservative Party,” he added.

While praising the personal qualities of the Conservative leadership at County Hall, with whom he says he has “worked closely”, he criticised the county council’s focus in recent years on securing a devolution deal.

“Concentrating on the combined authority deal to the exclusion of everything else means the achievements cupboard after four years looks threadbare. The combined [county] authority is now holed below the water line by local government reform [government plan to slash the number of councils in the county],” said County Cllr Mirfin, who was elected to the authority in 2021.

Alan Vincent, deputy leader of the Conservative group on Lancashire County Council said in response to his former colleague’s defection: “Ged was obviously unhappy that he was not reselected by his association and I was personally surprised that he chose to run for Reform whose views on a number of issues – particularly green issues – seem to be at odds with his political beliefs.

“But it’s been apparent that Reform are desperate to have at least some experience at County Hall as they don’t have any.”

“Devolution and local government reform, far from being a distraction, are the most important issues for the residents of Lancashire. Politicians who don’t recognise that, or have no experience of handling huge budgets or complex relationships, are frankly dangerous,” County Cllr Vincent said.

The LDRS approached Ribble Valley Conservative Association for comment.