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Devon councillor quits Conservatives over Brexit

Image: West Devon Council

Bob Baldwin represents the Milton Ford ward on West Devon council.

Explaining his resignation from the party, Cllr Baldwin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Theresa May’s handling of Brexit has been disastrous and that the harm to UK’s economy and damage to our international reputation is incalculable.

Cllr Baldwin said: “As a ‘One Nation’ Conservative, I have become increasingly dismayed and disillusioned with the Conservative government’s handling of Brexit.

“Leading a government, with no overall majority in the Commons, the Prime Minister has refused to seek any form of consensus between parties, indeed has not even succeeded in achieving agreement within her own Cabinet, nor her party on the form and shape that Brexit should take.

“This has led to the current deadlock in Parliament and it is apparent that it is hard-line Brexiteers within her own party, notably the ERG, who now prevent approval of the Withdrawal Agreement.

“The harm to UK’s economy and damage to our international reputation are incalculable. Meanwhile many social issues, which in part led to Brexit, remain unreformed and many public services are struggling due to lack of reform and continuing austerity.

“I admire and support the stand taken by the three Conservative MPs who have left the Tories to join the eight former Labour members in The Independent Group. The country needs a strong ‘centre’ party to challenge the two main parties, who have shifted to the extreme left and right respectively.”

His resignation from the Conservative Party follows Cllr Graham Parker, who represents the Tavistock South West ward, who quit the group the previous week. No reason for his resignation has been revealed.

Both councillors are currently sitting as non-aligned independents on the council, whose current political composition is Conservative (19), Independent Group (10) and Non-Aligned Independents (2).

As a result of the political composition of the council changing, the two non-aligned independents are entitled to one seat on the Development Management and Licensing Committee, with the Conservative Group losing a seat, and the Independent Group gaining a seat on the Standards Committee from the Conservatives.

But when the council meets next week, they are recommended that given the 2018/19 Municipal Year is about to conclude and there are elections in May, there is little value in changing the membership of the committees.

May’s local elections will see the entire West Devon Borough Council up for re-election.

 

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