Reform UK will not form a coalition with the Tories in Gosport, says group leader
Reform UK will “work alongside” the Conservatives to run Gosport Borough Council, the party’s leader has said.
Cllr Paul Carter, Reform Gosport group leader, said his party plans to “work alongside” the Tories after the Liberal Democrats lost control of the local authority at the elections earlier this month.
This announcement comes days after the leader of the Conservatives, Cllr Zoe Huggins BEM, also ruled out a coalition with Reform UK.
She pledged to “work constructively” across party lines but does not want to form a coalition.
Cllr Carter said: “Reform UK in Gosport will not be entering into a coalition with the Conservatives.
“We see this as a very exciting time for Gosport politics after years of Liberal Democrat rule with countless mistakes and pet projects.”
He said the group’s focus would be on opening up decision-making and tightening control of the council’s finances.
He said: “We will now work alongside the Conservatives to ensure complete transparency and proper decision-making that reflects the needs of Gosport borough residents, and, more importantly, ensure that finances are balanced and council tax is spent sensibly.”
Cllr Carter said that all ten Reform UK councillors met on Monday night to discuss their approach ahead of Wednesday’s full council meeting.
He said: “All ten of the Reform UK councillors had a meeting last night (Monday) to discuss the future of Gosport Council ahead of the council meeting on Wednesday. We can’t wait for the changes this will bring.”
He added: “Even though it’s been just over a week since the election, we have all been contacted by members of the public with issues they are facing. It feels good to be a voice for our constituents.”
The new composition of the council is 11 Conservatives, ten Reform UK councillors, six Liberal Democrats, and one Independent. The Liberal Democrats ran Gosport Borough Council for nearly four years after winning control in May 2022.