Ben Bradley, the former Tory MP for Mansfield and former leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, joined the Reform UK party on Wednesday.
Mr Bradley 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 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.’
More than 20 former Conservative MPs have defected to the party in recent months, although some have joined without the party’s blessing and are not expected to receive jobs.
Ben Bradley has been a prominent figure in Nottinghamshire politics over the past decade, most notably as the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Mansfield from 2017 until 2024 and as Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council from 2021 to 2024.
During his tenure, Mr Bradley frequently highlighted infrastructure investment and regional development as central to his agenda.
Mr Bradley also campaigned as the Conservative candidate in the inaugural 2024 East Midlands mayoral election, seeking to leverage newly devolved powers for transport and economic development across the region. Despite securing endorsements from local groups, he finished second to Labour candidate Claire Ward.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s former Conservative Leader and current Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Sam Smith, reacted to the defection: “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, spending millions on maintaining council buildings and committing 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 — someone with no loyalty, no principles, and whose personal ambition always comes first. After losing the East Midlands Mayoral election, Ben tried reinventing himself in Lincolnshire for his own political gain. If the Greens ever outpoll Reform, Ben will no doubt be seen running towards the nearest tree to hug instead of waving the British flag — all for his own advantage.
“Nottinghamshire’s Conservative councillors, under my leadership, 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. They have failed to deliver a single pledge they campaigned on — 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.”
