Worcestershire councillor quits Reform UK in St George dispute 2026

Key Points

• Worcestershire county councillor Karl Perks has left Reform UK and joined the Conservative Party.
• Perks says one key reason for his defection was the lack of prosecutions over St George’s cross paintings on roundabouts and other public property during the “Raise the Colours” campaign.
• He previously served as cabinet member for transport in the council’s Reform-led administration but was dismissed in March after a series of disagreements.
• Perks described the painting of red crosses on roundabouts, road signs and other council assets as “acts of vandalism” and called for prosecutions, which never took place.
• In a statement, Perks said he supported the display of both the union flag and the cross of St George but opposed “criminal damage to public property”.
• He alleges he was “criticised”, “abused” and “isolated” by Reform colleagues for urging a zero‑tolerance approach to offences linked to the campaign.
• Worcestershire County Council removed paint from traffic islands last summer on safety grounds but left flags on lamp‑posts in place.
• Perks says he “lost confidence” in Reform UK and that legitimate questions inside the party were “too often viewed as disloyalty”.
• He praised the direction of the Conservative Party under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership as a factor in his decision to defect.
• Following his move, the Conservatives now hold 13 seats on Worcestershire County Council, while Reform UK has 21 councillors.
• Conservative group leader Adrian Hardman has welcomed Perks, calling him an “outstanding advocate” for his Stourport community and promising to hold the current administration to account.

UK (Liverpool standard) July 20, 2026 – Worcestershire councillor Karl Perks’ defection from Reform UK to the Conservative Party highlighted tensions over St George’s cross roundabouts, party discipline and local governance in the county.

Why has councillor Karl Perks left Reform UK for the Conservatives?

Worcestershire county councillor Karl Perks has confirmed he has resigned from Reform UK and joined the Conservative Party, citing both policy disagreements and internal party culture as decisive factors. As reported by BBC News online, Perks’ departure follows months of tension over how the party and council handled the “Raise the Colours” campaign and the painting of St George’s crosses on public infrastructure.

Perks, who represents Stourport at Worcestershire County Council, said he felt “increasingly uncomfortable” within Reform UK after he attempted to raise questions about the party’s stance on alleged criminal damage and broader governance issues. According to his statement carried by the BBC, he claims that instead of engaging with his concerns, colleagues in Reform “criticised”, “abused” and “isolated” him when he advocated prosecutions for what he regarded as vandalism.

Perks’ move alters the political composition of the council, giving the Conservatives 13 county councillors against Reform’s 21, and will be seen locally as a significant realignment after a period in which Reform had led the administration. While the council’s overall control remains with Reform, the defection adds a vocal critic of the previous administration to the Conservative benches, with potential implications for scrutiny and future debates on law‑and‑order and community identity.

What happened with the St George’s cross roundabouts and why was it so contentious?

The “Raise the Colours” campaign last year saw union flags and St George’s crosses displayed across Worcestershire, including on lamp‑posts and, more controversially, painted onto roundabouts, road signs and other public assets. As reported by the BBC journalist covering the county council, Perks has made clear that he backed the patriotic display of flags themselves but drew a line at paint being applied directly to highway infrastructure.

Perks, then serving as cabinet member for transport in the Reform‑run administration, publicly described the painting of red crosses on council property as “acts of vandalism”. In his statement, carried by the BBC article, he said:

“During the Raise the Colours campaign, I supported the display of both the union flag and the cross of St George. What I could not support was criminal damage to public property.”

He added that as the cabinet member responsible for highways, he

“condemned the painting of roundabouts, road signs and other public assets and stated that – where offences had been committed – prosecution should be considered.”

Despite his stance, no prosecutions were brought in relation to the painting of the roundabouts. Last summer, Worcestershire County Council opted to remove the paint that had appeared on traffic islands across the county, citing road‑safety concerns, while leaving flags mounted on lamp‑posts. This compromise addressed immediate safety issues but did not resolve Perks’ concerns about what he viewed as unchallenged criminal damage, and he has suggested that the failure to pursue offenders sat uneasily with Reform’s declared “zero tolerance” approach to crime.

How did internal disagreements within Reform UK lead to Perks’ dismissal?

Karl Perks’ relationship with Reform UK’s leadership in Worcestershire deteriorated over the past year, culminating in his removal from the transport cabinet post in March following what he describes as a “series of disagreements”. The BBC report notes that Perks felt his insistence on pursuing potential offences linked to the roundabout paintings placed him at odds with colleagues who did not share his view of the campaign’s consequences.

In his written statement, cited by the BBC’s local government coverage, Perks said:

“I believed then, and still believe today, this was entirely consistent with a party that claimed to support zero tolerance towards crime. Instead I found myself criticised, abused and isolated by Reform.”

This language underscores his claim that internal criticism of party decisions particularly on law‑enforcement was treated as disloyalty rather than constructive scrutiny.

Perks went further, stating that he had “lost confidence” in Reform and that “legitimate questions were too often viewed as disloyalty”. From his perspective, this pattern signalled a broader problem with how the party handled internal debate at county level, and the roundabouts row became a focal example of perceived inconsistency between public messages on crime and internal attitudes towards enforcing the law when supporters or sympathisers were involved.

Why has Karl Perks chosen the Conservative Party, and what has been the reaction?

In explaining his decision to join the Conservative group at Worcestershire County Council, Perks pointed directly to national Conservative leadership under Kemi Badenoch. In his statement, as carried by BBC News, he said: “I am extremely encouraged by the direction the Conservative Party has taken under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership.” This suggests he views the current Conservative stance on crime, governance and perhaps cultural issues as closer to his own outlook than Reform’s recent direction, although he did not elaborate further in the reported remarks.

Adrian Hardman, leader of the Conservative group on Worcestershire County Council, has publicly welcomed Perks’ arrival. As quoted by the BBC journalist, Hardman said: “I’m delighted to welcome councillor Karl Perks to the group. Karl is an outstanding advocate for his local community in Stourport, and we look forward to working with him and holding the current administration to account for the benefit of all our residents.” This response positions Perks not only as a local representative but as an ally in scrutinising the Reform‑led administration.

The Conservatives’ new total of 13 county councillors, compared with Reform’s 21, still leaves Reform as the largest group on the council. However, the defection adds to the Conservatives’ capacity to challenge policy decisions and may embolden them to revisit debates around public order, symbolism, and the management of campaigns such as “Raise the Colours” in future council meetings.

How might this defection affect local governance and political dynamics in Worcestershire?

Perks’ move from Reform UK to the Conservatives brings an experienced transport portfolio holder into the opposition benches and may sharpen scrutiny of how the current administration handles issues of law‑and‑order, public space, and political campaigning. Although he no longer serves as cabinet member for transport, his previous role and outspoken views on the roundabouts case suggest he will remain an active voice on highways and community safety.

In council terms, the numerical shift is modest – Reform retains 21 councillors while the Conservatives rise to 13 – but the symbolic impact is significant because it involves a former Reform cabinet member publicly criticising the party’s internal culture and approach to crime. The episode may prompt further discussion among councillors and residents about the balance between patriotic expression and respect for public property, and about how far political parties should tolerate dissent from within when decisions are contested.

Perks’ emphasis on “zero tolerance towards crime” and his frustration at the absence of prosecutions linked to the roundabout paintings could encourage renewed debate over enforcement priorities, including whether similar incidents in future should be treated as public‑order matters, civil disputes, or criminal offences. At the same time, Hardman’s pledge to “hold the current administration to account” indicates that the Conservatives intend to use Perks’ experience to press Reform on decisions taken last summer and on broader questions of transparency and accountability.

Background to the Worcestershire roundabouts and party tensions

The “Raise the Colours” campaign in Worcestershire formed part of a wider movement to display national symbols – particularly the union flag and the cross of St George across public spaces, including lamp‑posts and traffic infrastructure. According to the BBC’s coverage of the county council’s response, the initiative stirred strong feelings among supporters who saw it as a proud assertion of English and British identity, and critics who worried about unauthorised alterations to public assets.

Worcestershire County Council’s decision last summer to remove paint from traffic islands, while keeping flags on lamp‑posts, reflected concerns from highways officers and councillors about road safety and the legal responsibilities attached to maintaining roundabouts and signs. It also highlighted the practical challenge of distinguishing between acceptable decorative displays and acts that could be deemed criminal damage under existing laws, especially where campaigns use patriotic or political motifs.

Within Reform UK, Perks’ insistence on describing the painted crosses as “acts of vandalism” and calling for prosecutions created a fault line over how to balance law‑and‑order rhetoric with loyalty to activists and supporters. His subsequent dismissal from the transport cabinet and eventual defection to the Conservatives suggest that these tensions were not resolved internally, and his public criticism of the party’s handling of “legitimate questions” indicates a deeper disagreement over internal democracy and discipline.

Prediction: how could this development affect Worcestershire voters and local parties?

Perks’ defection is likely to resonate most strongly with voters in Stourport and surrounding areas who followed the “Raise the Colours” campaign and the debate over the roundabouts. Residents who share his view that unauthorised painting of public assets should face potential prosecution may see his move to the Conservatives as aligning with a stricter, more legally focused approach to community campaigns.

For Reform UK supporters and councillors, the episode could prompt reflection on how the party manages internal dissent and how it presents its law‑and‑order message when high‑profile local issues arise. If more questions emerge about whether the party’s stance on crime is applied consistently, the case of the St George’s roundabouts may become a reference point in future local elections and debates.

On the council, having a former Reform cabinet member on the Conservative benches may intensify scrutiny of past decisions and encourage more detailed questioning in committee and full council meetings, which could in turn affect how policies on highways, public property and symbolic displays are developed. Over time, this may influence how both parties frame their appeals to Worcestershire voters – with greater attention to the legal status of grassroots campaigns and the expectations residents have around enforcement, accountability and respect for shared public spaces.