Tories bail on council coalition and quit cabinet

Three Conservative Worcestershire county councillors have quit the new power-sharing cabinet, after receiving a diktat from the Tories' national leadership.

Councillors Adrian Hardman, Marcus Hart and Karen May all resigned from the leadership after Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) issued its demand.

As a result, the new administration - which wrested control of the authority from Reform last week - is now a Green-Lib Dem-independent one. Hardman said the trio would "do the best for the party and for Worcestershire" in opposition.

It comes after councillor Adam Kent was suspended last week by CCHQ as the Tory group leader in Worcestershire, but remains deputy leader of the council.

Kent has said he cannot comment on his situation, although he is believed to have a vastly different version of events that led to his suspension.

Councillor Matt Jenkins, the council's new Green leader, has already filled the cabinet roles vacated by the Conservatives ahead of a meeting tomorrow, although their names have not been revealed yet.

On the resignations, Hardman said: "We've been asked by the party to find a way that serves the party and the people of Worcestershire.

"Be reassured, we will be doing our best for Worcestershire from inside the Conservative Party, and hopefully we will be able to take up some roles [at the council] in the future."

The move has come as a surprise to absolutely nobody at the council - neither the staff nor politicians across the chamber.

The trio of Conservative councillors who withdrew their support did so after taking advice from CCHQ, which made its position very clear: there cannot be any form of power-sharing deal with the Greens.

The three are vastly-experienced councillors, who also have party responsibilities elsewhere - Hart is the leader of Wyre Forest District Council, while May is the leader in Bromsgrove.

The move means they held cabinet roles for the shortest timeframe in the council's history - Hart was handed the education portfolio last week, while May was in charge of health and Hardman was to take care of the finance brief.

According to the council's own rules, the cabinet only has to have three members - and a maximum of 10 - and the speed at which the roles have been refilled suggests the coalition has already quickly moved on.

But it does leave more question marks over the control of the council - the new partnership has no more than 21 assumed votes, one short of the largest single party, Reform.

Over the weekend the council's two Labour councillors said they would be interested in being part of a "progressive alliance" - their support may well now be needed.

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