North Yorkshire Council's Conservative majority cut as councillor opts to go independent
A senior Harrogate county councillor says he is quitting the Tory Party with a “heavy heart” for national reasons.
Councillor John Mann, who represents the Oatlands and Pannal Division on North Yorkshire Council, said the Conservative Party lacked a “coherent set of ideas to revive Britain”.
Before the Tory councillor’s decision, the state of play on North Yorkshire Council saw it controlled by the Conservative Party who hold 47 seats, as against 43 opposition seats with Liberal Democrat and Liberal (14), Labour (11), NY Independent (10 seats), Green (4) and Unaffiliated (4).
Coun Mann now intends to represent his Harrogate ward as an Unaffiliated Independent.
"With a heavy heart, I have written to the Conservative Party local office to resign from the party,” said Coun Mann, who is a member of North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee which local handles planning decisions.
"My concerns are focused on the national political situation, the current state of the Conservative Party at Westminster and its continued diminishing prospects for the future.
"It seems that the party, which I have been a supporter of for decades, is slipping away with every new national opinion poll; and appears to have no overarching vision or coherent set of ideas to revive our failing state.
"For the foreseeable future, I will sit as an Unaffiliated Independent in the North Yorkshire Council chamber; and will continue to represent and work for my constituents."
Last year, Coun Mann labelled Harrogate a “congestion city” because of housing development.