Conservative borough and county councillor resigns to join Reform

A Derbyshire Conservative councillor has resigned to join Reform UK five months after the local elections.

Cllr Paul Maginnis has represented Sawley on Erewash Borough Council for the Conservatives since 2019 and on Derbyshire County Council since May – beating Reform’s candidate by 17 votes.

His resignation from the Conservatives to Reform UK comes days after he urged the borough council to seek an injunction permanently closing all asylum hotels in Erewash.

His motion was eventually tweaked and approved to “consider seeking” an injunction.

Meanwhile, Cllr Lorna Maginnis, who represents the borough ward of Nottingham Road in Long Eaton, and is married to Paul, has also resigned from the Conservative group. She says she is now a “politically homeless” independent councillor “for the foreseeable”.

Ms Maginnis finished third in the contest for the Long Eaton South county council division in May’s elections, behind Reform’s Jodie Brown and Labour’s Joel Bryan.

Mr Maginnis’ Reform membership doubles the party’s borough council representation from one to two councillors (out of 47), joining Cllr Dan Price (Cotmanhay) who gained a seat via a by-election in May, while simultaneously winning a county council seat – and is now the county administration’s whip.

His party change takes Reform’s county administration from 42 to 43 councillors (out of 64).

There are now two independents on the borough council, with Cllr Mick Pace leaving the controlling Labour group this month following opposition to national politics over Israel and the asylum hotel motion, which was supported locally.

Mr Maginnis was approached for comment, but wanted to make his announcement separately. 

In a Reform press release he said the Conservative party “has left him” and he “feels let down by so many broken promises.”

He said: “I’ve been a councillor for 6 years. I’ve always sought to deliver change in my community, from my work with local young people to my local campaigns to support pensioners.

“The Conservatives have failed us locally and nationally and are more concerned with playing silly games than delivering change for our country.

“I can no longer look at myself in the mirror and be a member of the Conservative party. Reform are a serious party who believe in just that, Reform. Reform is the party of the future.”

Ms Maginnis, posting on Facebook, said: “I’m officially politically homeless.

“I have left the Conservative Party and for the foreseeable I will be keeping my seat as an Independent.

“It’s been a long time coming but I just can not be the councillor I once was for a party that does not reciprocate or reward the efforts a member puts in.

“There is much more to this that I may or may not disclose at a later date, but for now.

“I hope that I can get back to my once fired up motivated self and do what I was elected to do with my integrity intact.”

Cllr Alan Graves, Reform’s county council leader, said: “I am highly delighted to welcome Paul to our group. He is a good councillor and an excellent addition to our group.

“Paul has been a bit disappointed in how the Conservatives approached the new (county) council and not handling how they got into this situation with humility.”

Cllr Price was approached for comment, but did not respond.

Cllr Wayne Major, Conservative borough group leader and the deputy county group leader, said: “The Conservative Party is a broad church, however, I think Paul and Lorna have found it difficult to work with colleagues who aren’t as right-wing as they are. 

“Since Reform began topping the polls, they’ve chosen to jump ship, seemingly believing it better serves their own ambitions.”

The makeup of the county council is now: 43 Reform councillors, 11 Conservative councillors, three Labour councillors, three Liberal Democrats, two Green Party councillors and two Independent councillors.

The makeup of the borough council is now: 25 Labour councillors, 16 Conservative councillors, two Independent councillors, two Reform councillors, one Greeen Party councillor and one Liberal Democrat councillor.