Tory councillor quits party and hits out at 'leader who is failing to lead'

BUT ACCUSATIONS OF A 'DECLINE IN STANDARDS' AT RUSHCLIFFE ARE STRONGLY DENIED BY LEADER, WHO SAYS RESIGNATION HAS 'COME AS A SURPRISE'

- By JOSEPH CONNOLLY

A CONSERVATIVE councillor has blasted the leadership of Rushcliffe Borough Council and resigned from the party.

Andy Edyvean, who was once deputy leader of the council and ran for the top position in a 2023 campaign, will now sit as an Independent for his Bunny constituency.

In a scathing email to colleagues, he denounced a "fall in standards that should have been unthinkable" and "observed many failings" that led to his decision.

It said: "Dear colleagues, I have reluctantly taken the decision to resign the Conservative whip at Rushcliffe. As a lifelong Conservative voter, this has been a very difficult decision, and I truly hope that the party can improve its position and regain trust with the British people.

"At a local level, I can no longer lend my name to the political administration in charge of Rushcliffe. In the last few years, I have seen a worrying decline in the standards that made Rushcliffe a contender for Council of the Year, a council I was proud to serve.

"The council leader, in my opinion, has failed to show leadership. I have observed many failings and have seen a fall in standards that should have been unthinkable."

Council leader Neil Clarke said he "refuted it all" when he spoke to the LDRS to respond to some of the accusations.

Mr Edyvean's email referred the loss of a chief executive, which he explained to the LDRS was a reference to Kath Marriott, who left in 2024 to become the chief executive of a council in Lincolnshire. He said: "My support for Neil (Clarke) began to change when Kath Marriott left. I couldn't understand why someone of her quality would move sideways, and I can only surmise that she was not finding it easy to work with the leader."