Councillor Sue Williams joins the Green Party, pushing Gloucester County Council into no overall control and providing a further boost to Greens following record local election results. Cllr Williams, who has represented Bisley and Painswick division since 2021, joined the Green group at Shire Hall on Friday, May 10.
Cllr Williams decided to join the Green Group at Shire Hall on Friday and said she had “grown increasingly disillusioned and angry” over the past few months. “I cannot – morally or ethically – ignore my conflicting views as an individual and as a Conservative Party member,” she said.
She added: “All of us have worked with Sue on various committees and we know her to be a councillor who is gentle, compassionate and conscientious. We appreciate her diligence and admire her determination to do the right thing for her constituents, regardless of party politics. We are very happy to welcome her to the Green group.”
Her defection risks the balance of power for the Conservative administration by reducing their number from 27 to 26 and therefore bringing them under the threshold required for a majority. Cllr Williams said her decision had been prompted by having lost faith in the Conservative Party nationally.