A veteran Forest of Dean councillor has spoken about his decision to defect from the Conservative party to become a member of Reform UK

Former Gloucester County Council chairman Alan Preest, 61, is the latest councillor to represent Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist political party and limited company in the county.

The former Tory currently represents the Lydney East at Forest of Dean District Council.

He stood to retain his Lydney seat on Gloucestershire County Council in May but came third behind Reform UK and the Green Party candidates.

Cllr Preest now says he believes his former party is ‘dead in the water’ in the Forest of Dean and feels local councillors were let down by the previous Tory government.

“What annoys me is there were some tremendous Conservative councillors at Gloucestershire County Council,” he said.

“I’m thinking of Phil Awford, Mark Hawthorne, Stephen Davies, Brian Tipper, Kathy Williams, Carole Allaway-Martin… we all got let down by central government – they stitched all of us.

“I’ve got no criticism of my Conservative colleagues, I love them all to bits.”

Cllr Preest, who has been on the District Council since 2003, also previously represented UKIP at Coleford and Shire Hall.

He believes more former Tory colleagues may join Reform.

“A couple of them are probably going to follow me,” he said.

“I think the Conservative group in the Forest are dead in the water.

“Former Forest MP Mark Harper got elevated to the House of Lords. I stood in as interim chair of the Conservative group but there is no base for any Conservatism in the Forest of Dean.

“I’ve got three years left as a district councillor and I want to get the best deal for the Forest of Dean.”

Conservative group leader Clayton Williams (Hartpury and Redmarley) said the timing of Cllr Preest’s decision was “interesting”.

“If that’s what he wants to do, that’s his decision,” Cllr Williams said.

“He did say last week he was thinking about it. I said it was up to him.

“So it’s interesting timing, the District Council is going to be over in two to three years.”

The current makeup of the District Council is 15 Green Party councillors, six Conservatives, six Independents, four Labour members, four Progressive Independents, two Reform UK councillors and one Liberal Democrat.

The administration is led by the Greens.