BREAKING NEWS: Eight Skegness councillors quit SUDS to join Reform UK

After weeks of speculation, the move comes ahead of the county council elections in May as the councillors seek alignment with a national party they believe “shares their vision for Lincolnshire and provides a stronger platform to combat the threats facing the county”.

The announcement also comes ahead of the Reform UK rally at Lincolnshire Showground tomorrow (Tuesday), which is expected to be attended by the party’s leader, Nigel Farage. "Lincolnshire is under attack like never before, and we can no longer stand by while the Conservative county council facilitates its decline," said Danny Brookes, who has led SUDS since the ‘non-political’ party formed in 2018 to “take back control of decisions made at district level that affect the town”.

"From inviting Nuclear Waste Services into our county to opening the floodgates for industrial operators such as pylon developments and carbon capture facilities, the Conservatives have prioritized outside interests over the well-being of local residents.

"We have found a national party in Reform UK that stands with us in fighting to protect Lincolnshire’s future."

SUDS had 14 members at the time of the announcement.

Coun Brookes is to stand as a Reform UK candidate against Conservative Coun Colin Davie in Ingoldmells Rural in the county council electons on May 1.

"Reform UK represents the best opportunity for us to take back control of Lincolnshire’s future," said Coun Brookes.

“Despite decades of Conservative leadership, Lincolnshire’s roads remain riddled with potholes, and the residents of Orby continue to wait for the long-needed bypass.

"Additionally, the imposition of part-night street lighting has put communities under an effective curfew, damaging the nighttime economy and raising safety concerns for residents and businesses alike.

"The lack of action on these fundamental issues has reinforced the councillors’ decision to align with a party committed to meaningful change. “By joining Reform UK, we believe we can better challenge policies that threaten Lincolnshire’s heritage, environment, and local economy.

"We also pledge to fight for investment in proper infrastructure, oppose industrial projects that do not serve local interests, and ensure that residents’ voices are no longer ignored by the establishment.

"We will stand together with our constituents to ensure that their concerns are heard and acted upon."

The move has been welcomed by MP for Boston and Skegness MP and Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice.

He told Lincolnshire World: ““We are delighted to welcome the eight SUDS councillors to Reform UK.

"They have a huge amount of experience to contribute.

"We hope those standing in the county council elections on May 1st will all be elected”

The current Ingoldmells Rural councillor on LCC, Coun Davie, has challenged Suds to a debate on how they plan to make change and said: “It has also been a huge honour to serve the community where I live and was born into.

“I’m always respectful of the way people feel about life and society. I know people are very unhappy at he moment about the direction of travel of their country – they expressed that last year but it doesn’t change anything.

"We now have a government which is extreme – and that is probably being kind.

"I think it’s a government that hates Lincolnshire and places like it. It is a government that hates the countryside and hates the fact we have farming as our key thing – farming is under attack like I have never seen any sector under attack before. It is a disgrace.

"We are being inundated with pylons, solar farms, sub-stations and all the other rubbish of Ed Milliband’s net zero campaign.

"So people don’t feel happy. But elections on May 1 are about local issues.

"The Mayor or the councillor is not going to change the government’s position on immigration or any of the national issues.

"What you are doing is voting for people who are going to fight and stand up for the local community and have a clear plan to do so.

"For years ago Conservatives had a very clear manifesto – we talked about what we were going to do and how we were going to do it and what areas were being protected and what areas we would look for savings in.

"The problem with local elections most political parties and I know this will be the case with my friends at SUDS in Skegness who are now becoming Reform – they will just talk about the national issues and expect everyone to jump on the Nigel Farage bandwagon.

"That isn’t the answer – the answer is how are you going to manage the council so you can keep council tax as low as possible. We are in a cost of living crisis and we are one of the lowest council tax areas in the UK because we manage things well.

"We taken £400 million of savings out of the council in the last decade and that has een reinvested into supporting the services people rely on.

"We have a massive elderly population on the coast – our care bill alone is £218 million a year. That has to be done.

"Education is an excellent service – most of our services are graded good or outstanding.

“We are fixing more miles of road than we have ever done and in a better way.

"There is more to be done – I would like a debate with any political party on what they are going to do and how they are going to do it.”

• A statement of persons nominated for all the wards being contested in the May 1 county council elections will be published on April 3. The former SUDS councillors will continue their duties as representatives while preparing to contest upcoming elections under the Reform UK banner.