Councillor defects away from Reform UK slamming group as 'party of protest'
Move is understood to have come due to a mixture of frustration at the national leadership and a failure locally to prioritise West Lancashire
Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
Nigel Farage stole the headlines with his hissy fit resignation as an MP, intending to put the decision about his future to the public rather than wait for the outcome of any investigation into his financial arrangements. Zoe at our national edition focused her Tuesday column on the news.
But there was political drama of a Lancashire kind after Reform UK - a party that has benefitted plenty from defections from the Conservatives - saw its first County Hall exit in the opposite direction.
Describing Reform UK - nationally, at least - as a party of protest, the councillor returns to the party he was a member of for many years before the 2025 elections.
Lancashire briefing
🗳️ The Reform UK group that runs Lancashire County Council says Nigel Farage has done “the right thing” by quitting as an MP to trigger a parliamentary by-election.
Cllr Simon Evans, the deputy leader at County Hall, backed his national party leader’s decision to resign as the member for Clacton – and then stand in the resultant content. He said the “political establishment” was trying to bring Mr. Farage down.
His comments came as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the by-election move as a “desperate stunt”, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded it a “hissy fit” and the Liberal Democrats said they would boycott the poll – a stance since backed by the Tories.
🚗 The search is on for a new six-figure highways chief for Lancashire as the current boss has quit.
Matt Townsend, director of highways and transport at Lancashire County Council, is moving on after just two years in post.
The county council confirmed he was moving to a ‘more senior leadership role with another local authority’, which The Lancashire Lead understands to be Essex County Council.
Townsend was described as ‘ambitious’ by everyone The Lancashire Lead has spoken with, pointing towards an exit more to do with making career progress than the state of the county’s roads.
🎭 People in a Rossendale town are calling for a controversial pagoda-style events space, said to have cost £55,000, to be moved.
Critics say the red-roofed structure in a Waterfoot town centre car park is hampering customers trying to visit local businesses, has no planning permission and impacts on elderly residents nearby.
The pagoda – also described as a pergola – has been used to test different events and to help create a new Waterfoot ‘town square’ in a car park behind Burnley Road East. The aim is to boost events, regeneration and tourism.
Waterfoot is the focus of some recent or new government-funded schemes, as are some other towns in Rossendale. But critics say the pergola raises questions about local consultation and how government cash is spent locally.
Now, they have delivered a petition, signed by 1,400 people, about their concerns to Rossendale Council.
Councillor defects away from Reform UK slamming group as ‘party of protest’
By Luke Beardsworth
Lancashire County Council has one Reform UK councillor fewer after the defection of one of their members.
Cllr Leon Graham, who represents West Lancashire West, has rejoined the Conservatives after initially leaving the party in 2023.
And in doing so, he took a swipe at his former party at a national level - saying it is clear the Nigel Farage-fronted Reform UK is a ‘party of protest’ rather than one ready to govern. He added that the party has had ‘some successes’ in Lancashire.
It marks the first defection at County Hall since the 2025 elections, despite persistent rumours that some may quit Reform UK to join Restore that have so far come to nothing.
His former West Lancashire stablemate, and Reform UK deputy leader at County Hall, Cllr Simon Evans delivered a remarkable response to the news.
He wrote in a now deleted comment: “Anyone with honour should stand aside and allow the people of West Lancashire to decide, they did not vote for a Tory. Let the people vote.
“The example set by Nigel Farage today is one you should reflect on. The council is of the people not career politicians’.
It is not clear why the comment was deleted but you needn’t look far to find one potential reason.
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