Plymouth Reform councillor won't resign over defection

Labour wanted a by-election in Drake ward

Plymouth’s first Reform UK councillor says he won’t resign to trigger a by-election after switching parties despite a call for him to do so by the city council.

Cllr Steve Ricketts was elected onto Plymouth City Council as an Independent for the Drake ward in 2023 but joined Nigel Farage’s party in February saying he wanted to help Reform UK win the next general election. His seat does not come up for re-election until 2027.

Labour councillor Daniel Steel (Plymstock Radford) proposed a motion asking the council to invite Cllr Ricketts to resign so a by-election could be held with the local elections this May because he said the people of Drake should be given the chance to vote again after such a material change.

Legally Cllr Ricketts does not have to resign for changing political parties. 

Cllr Steel said at a full council meeting on Monday that when an elected representative changes political affiliation residents “should have the right to confirm or withdraw the confidence they originally placed in them”.

The councillor denied the motion was about political point scoring but “democratic principle” . He said Plymouth Labour had called for a by-election when three councillors left the group in the past and Cllr Ricketts himself had done so in similar circumstances himself a few years ago when a member defected to another party.

Cllr Charlotte Holloway (Lab, Drake) said Cllr Ricketts had a new set of values so it was only right that people should have their say whether they wanted him to represent them and Cllr Sue Dann (Lab, Sutton and Mount Gould) said the make up of the chamber should reflect the electorate, their values and politics.

Cllr Carol Ney (Ind, Southway) said the motion set a dangerous precedent and she believed it had been brought forward as “Plymouth Labour are terrified of Reform”.

She said: “Cllr Ricketts has broken no rules, the Local Government Association has no rules on this.”

Cllr Patrick Nicholson (ind, Plympton St Mary) said: “I would not have done what Cllr Ricketts has done but that is his choice. Cllr Ricketts is, if nothing else, is a fervent defender and advocate for Drake ward, he put those residents first and he should be commended for that, Whether they support him as a Reform councillor time will tell.”

Green councillor for Plympton Chaddlewood Lauren McLay said she could only support the motion if it came from the people of Drake.

“I would want the community coming together to say they do not want to be represented by Reform but that is not what is here today. It’s not this chamber’s decision to make, it is the people of Drake’s and Cllr Ricketts’ decision.”

Cllr Kate Taylor (Lab, Ham) who seconded the motion said it was entirely reasonable to go to voters and ask for a fresh mandate.

“It might be perfectly legal to change parties but it does not make it right,” she said.

Cllr Ricketts , who has also been a Conservative councillor on Plymouth City Council in the past, said he had given 20 years of service to the community where he lived: “I will never resign, not when local people need me to fight for them.

“This is not something I have done quickly, I have  been thinking about it long and hard. 

“I appreciate the vast support I continue to receive, there are local issues but also my country is on the line and I need to attach myself to Reform as we are in dire straits.”

The motion was supported but will not change the situation as a by-election can only take place if a councillor dies, resigns, is disqualified or fails to attend council meetings for six consecutive months.