A Conservative council in Liz Truss’s constituency is facing embarrassment, as a councillor defects from the Tories to Labour.
Joshua Lowe, who at just 22 could be Norfolk’s youngest councillor, resigned from the Tory party on August 30, shortly before the new PM was appointed.
After two weeks as an independent, he has now, according to the council’s website, joined the Labour group on West Norfolk Borough Council.
New prime minister Liz Truss’s South West Norfolk constituency partly falls within the council’s area - placing the row in her backyard, and raising questions over whether she can unite her fractured party.
Mr Lowe, who had joined the Tories aged 17 and represents Gaywood North Bank, branded the authority’s leader Stuart Dark as “out of touch” on the issue of parties having been held at Downing Street during the Covid lockdowns.
He also said the Conservatives both locally and nationally had not done enough to support the most vulnerable through the cost of living crisis.
“I don't think enough is being done to help them,” he said.
“I believe, in terms of what's being implemented to help the most vulnerable, [they] are mere sticking plasters rather than concrete proposals.”
On ‘partygate’, he said: “I strongly believe that the council leader should have set out how wrong it was and also condemned what the [former] prime minister and the chancellor did.
“However there was a reluctance to do that and I found it quite bizarre, how out of touch essentially the leader was in that situation."
He added that he wanted to see "a fairer society" and that he had gradually come to the realisation that it was not right for him to remain in the party.
Mr Dark said: “Councillor Lowe is, just like many other young people, on his own journey of development, exploration and opinion forming and I genuinely wish him well in that and for the future, in a similar way he thanked me in writing for my support upon leaving this group.
“His resignation and comments here are mainly directed at central government in Westminster and pre-date the election of a new prime minister and her cabinet, who are already bringing forward plans to address the cost of living crisis and other issues of national importance.
“I am proud of the way this council and administration continues to deliver for West Norfolk for such a low cost.
“My recollection of the events surrounding councillor Lowe wishing me to call for the resignation of the now removed prime minister differs from his.”
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