Reform councillor defects to Tories after flag row
BBCA Worcestershire county councillor has defected from Reform UK to the Conservative Party - and said one of the reasons was because nobody was prosecuted for painting roundabouts with the cross of St George.
Councillor Karl Perks said he wanted the council to consider prosecutions last year, only to be "criticised" and "isolated" by fellow Reform politicians who did not agree with him.
He also said he felt "increasingly uncomfortable" within the party after he tried to ask questions about it, resulting in his switch.
Perks was a cabinet member for transport under the council's previous Reform administration, but was fired in March after a series of disagreements.
Last year he described the painting of red crosses on roundabouts and other council property as "acts of vandalism", but no prosecutions took place over it.
Perks, in a statement, said: "During the Raise the Colours campaign, I supported the display of both the union flag and the cross of St George.
"What I could not support was criminal damage to public property.
"As the cabinet member responsible for highways, I condemned the painting of roundabouts, road signs and other public assets and stated that - where offences had been committed - prosecution should be considered.
"I believed then, and still believe today, this was entirely consistent with a party that claimed to support zero tolerance towards crime.
"Instead I found myself criticised, abused and isolated by Reform."
Last summer the council opted to remove the paint that had appeared on traffic islands across Worcestershire, citing safety concerns, but left the flags on lamp-posts.
Perks said he had "lost confidence" in Reform and felt that "legitimate questions were too often viewed as disloyalty".
"I am extremely encouraged by the direction the Conservative Party has taken under Kemi Badenoch's leadership," he added.
His defection means the Conservatives now have 13 county councillors, while Reform has 21.
Adrian Hardman, the Conservative group leader, said: "I'm delighted to welcome councillor Karl Perks to the group.
"Karl is an outstanding advocate for his local community in Stourport, and we look forward to working with him and holding the current administration to account for the benefit of all our residents."
Reform lost control of the council in May after an internal leadership battle, with the authority now run by a Green-Lib-Dem-independent coalition.
The BBC has approached Reform UK for comment.
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