Tories lose Stafford Council majority as councillor couple go independent
A husband and wife have declared their independence on Stafford Borough Council after crossing the floor from the Conservative group.
Ray and Jenny Barron’s move to the Borough Independents comes just over a year before the next borough council elections are due to take place. It means that the controlling Conservative group has lost its seat majority, making Stafford Borough a “hung council”.
The pair have represented the Weeping Cross and Wildwood ward for the past seven years. Ray, who joined the Conservative Party in 2006, has also previously represented Stafford North on Staffordshire County Council and the borough council’s Common ward.
The pair, who represented the borough as Mayor and Mayoress in 2018-19 and Deputy Mayor and Mayoress in 2010-11, said: “We feel it would be far better for our constituents of Weeping Cross and Wildwood if we supported them as independent candidates.”
They have raised concerns about neighbouring Conservative-run South Staffordshire Council’s plans to earmark land on the district’s border with Stafford for more than 160 new homes as part of its new Local Plan.
More than 1,000 people have had their say on the proposal. There are fears that a potential development of the Cannock Road land would put extra strain on nearby services in Stafford that are already under pressure, such as GP surgeries and schools.
Stafford Borough Council now has 20 Conservatives, 10 Labour members, eight Borough Independents, one independent member and one Green Party representative.
At the 2019 Stafford Borough Council elections the authority’s Conservative group lost all its Stone town ward seats to independent candidates.
The Borough Independents group said in a statement: “”Borough Independents will always welcome people that work hard for their local communities, like Jenny and Ray do, regardless of national politics.
“This is something we do not discuss and we have no political whips. We are growing in number and will continue do so.”
Stafford Borough Council’s Conservative leader Patrick Farrington said he was disappointed at the Barron’s decision but declined to comment further.
