Ribble Valley council leader leader quits Tories to join Reform

Coun Stephen Atkinson appeared on the platform of a Reform UK press conference in London this lunchtime, Monday, ahead of the forthcoming county council elections in May, in which he intends to be a candidate.

Coun Atkinson has been been the leader of the ruling Conservative group at Ribble Valley Council for the past six years. He recently announced his decision to end his role there as leader and talked about hopes to become the borough’s deputy mayor. He has also been a critic of potential Lancashire council reforms which could see smaller district councils scrapped or merged to create new large authorities.

But today, he was was among 29 councillors from across the country who appeared at the Royal Horseguards Hotel in Westminster for the Reform UK press conference.

Other Lancashire councillors who have joined Reform recently include Lancashire county councillors Ged Mirfin and Matthew Salter, and Wyre councillor Paul Ellison. They have left the Conservative Party because they ‘felt abandoned and disillusioned by it after so many broken promises’, Reform UK said.

Speaking today, Coun Atkinson said his council had delivered ‘great success’ for residents. But he resigned yesterday, Sunday, from the Conservative Party, to join Reform and would be standing for it in the county council elections.

He said: “The reason is that Reform, its vision for growth, prosperity and safety for all Britons, is what the country needs. Reform is the only party that can save the country.

“And to paraphrase Edmund Burke, all it takes for bad things to prevail is for good men and women to do nothing. And that’s the reason why I make this decision for the greater good.

“And like so many others, I feel betrayed by decades of broken promises. Tory MPs, ministers and prime ministers have failed over the last 14 years.”

He claimed: “Labour and the Conservatives have morphed into one. They have become the same thing, high immigration, high taxes and high energy bills. They’ve let patriots like me and the rest of the country down. They are the globalist uni-party.

“The only way to ensure we beat Labour is uniting behind Reform, all with a shared vision, making sure the UK is sovereign, prosperous and independent nation that we all know it can be.

“For too long, British politics has been dominated by self interest and failed promises. Only Reform will bring the common sense and trust back to politics, prioritising residents in everything we do. Reform UK is a party that truly believes in restoring the Great Britain many of us grew up in.

“And preparing for government in 2029 means we need to be ready at all levels. I know how much waste happens in councils across the country. When we’re elected, we’re going to go through line-by-line, and if it does not benefit residents, it will be reduced or removed. That money will go into potholes. And we’ll open our tips for when people need to use them and they won’t need a permit.”

He added: “I am proud to announce my decision to join the party that truly puts the people first. There will be many more to make this transition. Together we can set our county councils on a path to success and fight local government reorganization, win seats up and down the country, and help share a brighter future for the entire UK and our children.”