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Voters 'should get a choice' on Reform defectors

Southend City Council A head and shoulders picture of James Courtenay in a Southend City Council meeting, wearing a dark suit and tie, with a microphone and screen device in front of himSouthend City Council
Conservative James Courtenay says byelections should be held in Southend

Two councillors who quit the Conservative Party to join Reform should face by-elections, according to a leading Southend Tory.

Tony Cox, the former Conservative leader at Southend-on-Sea City Council, and fellow councillor Darryl Jones announced last week that they were joining Nigel Farage's party.

James Courtenay, the new leader of the Conservative group said local residents would be "disappointed" to have ended up with Reform councillors when they elected.

Mr Cox said by-elections would be expensive and "if you asked residents, they’d say carry on".

'Residents did not elect Reform'

Mr Cox is a councillor in West Shoebury and had been a Conservative Party member for nearly 30 years.

He was the council leader until May, when Labour took control and formed an administration with an independent group.

Mr Jones, who represents Southchurch ward, joined Mr Cox following a Tory fallout over who should take their local party forward.

Speaking to BBC Essex, Mr Courtenay said: "It's one thing leaving a party and sitting as an independent, but to cross the floor and join another party, I think residents should get a choice.

"The residents of West Shoebury did not elect a Reform councillor; they have consistently returned a Conservative councillor.

"I think they will be rather disappointed to find they have ended up with a Reform councillor.

"If I was to join a [different] party, I would stand down and have a by-election because I don’t think it would be fair on the residents of Chalkwell ward, who elected me as a Conservative councillor, to find me in any other party."

A head and shoulders picture of Tony Cox in front of Southend's council chamber
Tony Cox quit the Conservatives after nearly 30 years as a party member

In a resignation statement on why he was leaving the Conservatives, Mr Cox said: "I haven't left the Conservative Party, but they have left me and the people of Southend."

When questioned on whether it was democratic to join another party after an election, he stressed the cost of holding a by-election.

Mr Cox added: "In the days of constrained finances, would the public, who I am still providing support to, think it would be wise to call a by-election which would cost in and around £15,000?

"If you asked residents, they’d say carry on, stay on doing what you do.

"I have actually said to people, I’m still a conservative, you elected a conservative, the difference is the Conservative Party left me and those residents who voted for a Conservative."

During the general election campaign in June, four Independent councillors in Tendring in north-east Essex decided to join Reform, and were unveiled by party leader Mr Farage during an appearance in Clacton.

Reform also has its first councillor on Thurrock Council with former Conservative, Alex Anderson, announcing he has joined the party.

Mr Anderson, who represents Stanford East and Corringham Town, said in a statement he was joining to "put an end to years of disastrous Labour/Conservative rule".

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