Tories suspend leader at Worcestershire council after he made deal to oust Reform

The Conservatives have suspended the party’s leader at Worcestershire county council after he made a deal with the Greens and Liberal Democrats to oust Reform. Reform UK gained control of the council a year ago but its tenure has been marked by a series of controversies and political infighting. This included a bitter leadership battle in which the now former Reform councillor Jo Monk was replaced as leader of the council in April. At a full council meeting to elect a new leader on Thursday, the party lost minority control of the authority after the Conservatives teamed up with the Green party, Lib Dems and independents to form an alliance. The Green councillor Matt Jenkins is now leading the council. Cllr Adam Kent, the leader of the Tory group in Worcestershire , was suspended from the party after the meeting. The Conservative party chair, Kevin Hollinrake MP, said it did not approve of an arrangement with the Greens and its position was “clear from the start”. “[Kent] told the national party he would not do a deal with the Greens,” Hollinrake said. “Then he went ahead and put together a rainbow coalition involving Green councillors anyway. “Worse, his group was told something that was not true. Fellow Conservative councillors were given the impression that this deal had party support when it did not. …