Conservative and Reform councillors form new group on Ashfield Council

Coun Rostance is the leader of the group which the ruling Ashfield Independents have claimed is a Tory-Reform coalition after Coun Justice switched from the Conservatives to Reform last November.

However, Ashfield’s Reform MP Lee Anderson says this is categorically not the case.

Coun Helen-Ann Smith (Ash Ind), council deputy leader, said: “Before Christmas, Coun Justice left the Conservatives to join Reform UK with great fanfare.

"Now, just weeks later, she has joined a coalition with the Tories .

"This begs the question, what is the difference between the two?

"What is clear in Nottinghamshire, is that a vote for Reform is a vote for the Conservatives – they are like two peas in a pod.”.

Mr Anderson replied: “It is not a coalition and Coun Justice is not working with the Conservative councillor.

"Coun Justice and Coun Rostance have formed an opposition group of two councillors which allows Coun Justice to stay on the audit committee to scrutinise the council’s finances.

"Being a single councillor would mean she would be removed from the committee.

“We think it is right that Coun Justice remains on this committee to hold the Ashfield Independents to account and protect council tax payers money.

"That said, there is no coalition and never will be.”

The current make-up of the council is the Ashfield Independents with 32 seats, the Conservatives with one, Labour with one and Reform with one.

Speaking about the news, a Labour Party spokesperson said: “Reform claim to be offering something new to the public, but this backroom deal in Lee Anderson’s Ashfield makes it clear – a vote for Reform is just another vote for the Tories.

“And no-one in this county needs reminding about the damage the Tories have done.

"We feel it in our pockets, we see it on our streets, in our hospitals.

"The culmination of 14 years of chaos and decline led by the Conservatives in Downing Street.

“At least both parties have shown their true colours ahead of the local elections on May 1.

"Voters now know the only way to vote for change is to back Labour to run Nottinghamshire County Council.”