Tory MP defends party's council intervention

A Conservative MP for Worcestershire says his party was right to block a county council power-sharing deal that put a Green Party leader in charge.

On Thursday, the Conservative Party teamed up with the Greens, Liberal Democrats and independents on Worcestershire County Council to form an alliance.

The coalition meant Reform UK lost control of the authority, but shortly afterwards, the Tories suspended group leader councillor Adam Kent, because the agreement did not have the party's permission.

Bromsgrove MP Bradley Thomas said: "Residents do want politicians to work together, but they also want politicians to uphold their values."

Councillor Matt Jenkins, the authority's new Green leader, has said Tory HQ should "just stay out of it" and vowed to make the coalition work.

However, Thomas told BBC Politics Midlands, that his party, under leader Kemi Badenoch, had "very decisively" said it did not do deals with the Greens.

"The current iteration of the Green party under Zack Polanski is the complete anathema of the Conservative Party," he said.

"This is the party that is weak on antisemitism; this is a party that is completely contrary to Conservative values, and we've been crystal clear that Conservative Party values are standards by which we live our political lives, they're not slogans.

"Any support for the Conservatives in putting a Green leader in place is dead and buried."

The MP added Reform had led the council "disastrously" for 12 months, citing a 9% council tax hike and "slashing services, including road resurfacing".

However, he clarified any local government coalition deal "has to be conducted in consultation with Conservative central office".

In a statement on X, party chair Kevin Hollinrake MP said he had been "very clear" the deal did not have party approval.

"Councillor Kent agreed," he wrote. "That should have been communicated clearly and unambiguously to his colleagues.

"Fellow Conservative councillors were given the impression that this deal had Party support when it did not."

Kent has said he was unable to comment on the situation.

However, the intervention leaves the new rainbow coalition in doubt.

The BBC has been told Conservative Campaign Headquarters informed councillors it regarded the arrangement as being "dissolved".

The situation has implications for Birmingham City Council, where no party currently holds a majority.

The authority's first full meeting since the elections is on Tuesday, with members expected to form an administration and appoint a new leader.

The Labour Party was previously in charge for 14 years, but new leader Nicky Brennan said on Friday it was a time to reflect and rebuilt trust and support.

"For that reason, our group will not be entering into any coalition agreement or power-sharing arrangement with other parties," she said.

Birmingham's Reform UK leader Jex Parkin has said, despite it being the largest party, it would be unable to form an administration since a "left-wing majority" had "made it clear they refuse to work with us".

In response, Paulette Hamilton, Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, said: "My gripe is, we've got a council with 23 Reform councillors who immediately came out of the trap and said, 'we're going into opposition', so they didn't even try to negotiate.

"Reform should be getting round the table, not campaigning on national issues but actually dealing with the potholes," she added.

"And go into power and understand what that means."

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said she believed local parties should have the freedom to decide how they would "deliver for their residents".

"You might be squeamish about what's happening with other parties, but ultimately there has to be some grown-ups in the room," she said.

"We don't live in a world of two party politics any more, and that means people are going to have to come together.

"My personal view is that local parties should be free to do that without the control coming from the centre, and it just demonstrates really how weak local government is, that none of these parties can do anything without their HQ signing it off."

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