Ben Bradley: Former Tory Nottinghamshire County Council leader joins Reform
Former Nottinghamshire Council leader Bradley has announced he is joining Reform UK and says Labour and the Conservatives have ‘lost the trust of communities’.
Mr Bradley was leader of Nottinghamshire Council from 2021 to 2024 and also Conservative MP for Mansfield from 2017 to 2024.
He also stood to be the first elected East Midlands mayor in the new East Midlands Combined County Authority in 2024 but lost out to Labour’s Claire Ward.
In a Facebook post, he said: “In the coming weeks I'm joining Reform UK in a new role, working with Reform's councils, leaders and mayors across the country to help deliver efficient and effective local services for local people.
"After a year out of politics altogether, I'm excited for a new chapter, a chance to drive positive change and lend my experience to get things done.
"As well as supporting Reform councils, I'll be working alongside Richard Tice MP and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to look at how Reform can save money for taxpayers, and how we can fix some parts of the system that are fundamentally broken.
"The challenges in councils – children's services, social care, fixing roads, regenerating towns – are huge and varied, so I'm excited to be back in a role where I can make a difference.
"I've come to the conclusion that both this Government and the previous one have lost the trust of the communities where I live and work.
"I don't think that trust is coming back.
"People have watched successive Governments over decades promise all sorts and deliver the opposite, none more so than the current incumbents.
"It's a cliche, but if you want change then vote for it.
"An earthquake is happening in British politics and I've never been one to sit on the sidelines and watch.
"I'm excited to get going and to lend my experience, in the hope that a future Reform Government can be different and be the change that Britain needs.”
Coun Sam Smith, Conservative group leader at Nottinghamshire Council reacted by saying: “Reform councillors clearly need all the help they can get from a head of local government.
"In Nottinghamshire, Reform councillors were elected on empty promises of stopping boats, blocking council reorganisation and cutting waste — yet the reality has been the opposite.
"All Reform have done is betray Broxtowe, Gedling and Rushcliffe residents by dumping them into the failed and bankrupt city area, spend millions on maintaining council buildings and committed to wasting £30m on renovating County Hall instead of investing public money in improving frontline public services.
“Turning to someone for help who once held three jobs, has now been in two political parties, voted to remain in the EU and declared a climate emergency across Nottinghamshire, is turning to someone whose political loyalties change with the wind.
“Conservative councillors have always been focused on getting things done for residents and for our county.
"We will continue to do so while holding the awful Reform leadership to account as they continue to break promise after promise and it won’t be long before they resort to hiking up council tax and cutting services
"And while Reform’s chaos unfolds, the boats will keep coming down the Trent, proving once again that Reform’s rhetoric collapses the moment it meets reality.”