Tories suspend local leader after Worcestershire branch attempted to join coalition with the Green Party to lock Reform out of leading council

The Conservative Party has sacked a local leader after he tried to form a shock coalition with the far-left Green Party.

The Leader of the Conservative Group at Worcestershire County Council was condemned by his own party over the deal this afternoon.

Reform UK won 24 seats, short of the 29 needed to form a majority in the State Council.

But today, in a shocking move, the Conservative Party took control with a strange rainbow coalition of the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and three independents.

This afternoon a spokesman for the Conservative Party in London said the council’s group leader, Adam Kent, had been ‘suspended with immediate effect’.

Kemi Badenoch was said to have ‘demanded that this arrangement be stopped immediately’ as soon as she heard about the plan to sign an agreement with the Green Party.

A spokesman for the party explained: ‘The Conservative Party Leader has made it very clear that we do not approve of the regulation at Worcestershire Council and that he does not have our support.’

Zack Polanski’s far-left party an unnatural coalition partner for the Conservatives

‘The Conservative Group Leader did not make it clear that we were against councilors in Worcestershire and has been suspended pending an investigation.

‘CCHQ has made it clear to our Councilors that this arrangement should not continue.

‘Worcestershire Council has been in chaos since Reform took over.

‘They increased council tax by 9% and Nigel Farage now says he wishes Reform had never bothered to try to make it work.’

A Conservative source added that Ms Badenoch ‘has been clear that she won’t put up with this kind of nonsense’.

The now-suspended Conservative Party leader, who defended the deal this afternoon, said he could work with the Greens at a local level.

Mr Kent argued: ‘There are many areas where we disagree with the Greens on national policy; but local government is not Westminster.

‘Over the last year, residents have suffered terribly as a result of the instability of the Reformation in Worcestershire.

‘At some point responsible councilors need to stop standing on the sidelines.’

Reform warns voters voting Tory could lead to ‘Going Green’

A Reform spokesman has rejected the Conservative Party’s decision to suspend Adam Kent, pointing out the coalition is ‘still standing’

Reform condemned the coalition when the news first broke and warned voters that it was proof that a vote for the Conservatives could bring the Green Party to power.

The party shared a photo of Kemi Badenoch and Zack Polanski in bed on Twitter and wrote the headline: ‘The Conservatives have struck a deal with the Greens to form a coalition to run Worcestershire County Council.

‘Vote Tory. ‘Take the green.’

Responding to the news that the Tory branch leader had been sacked by the party over the deal, a spokesman told the Mail: ‘The coalition still stands. All other councilors are still in coalition with the Greens, still holding the Tory whip.’

The council is now chaired by Green Party councilor Matt Jenkins, who has warned it will have to implement ‘major cuts’.

Mr Jenkins said the new job was both a ‘privilege’ and ‘daunting’.

‘We have a lot to sort out but we hope that by working together we can get things done without damaging the vital services that residents value.

‘I joined the Green Party because I was concerned about the environment and all those kinds of issues, and I’m doing good things for my residents.’