Bournemouth, Political | Posted on October 14th, 2025 | return to news

Bournemouth councillors defect to Reform

Cllr Duane Farr and Cllr Cameron Adams say “the Conservative Party is no longer our home.”

Last week, Reform gained its first two councillors on Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Council when Cllr Duane Farr and Cllr Cameron Adams announced they had defected to the party on Tuesday 7 October.

The pair’s defection is part of a trend across the UK this autumn, which has seen 20 Conservative councillors switch their party allegiance to Reform.

Cllrs Farr and Adams both represent the ward of Kinson. In a joint statement released on Monday 13 October, they said: “We have made the decision that the Conservative Party is no longer our home. It is becoming increasingly clear that the country needs drastic change, and we believe only Reform UK can deliver this — from cutting public sector waste, to controlling our borders, to fixing our declining towns.

“Locally our focus remains unchanged. We will continue to support efforts to stop the imposition of costly town councils against the will of the public, and we will work with any councillors who share this aim.

“We will continue to hold the Liberal Democrats to account not just for their mismanagement of the council, but their responsibility for the decline of our towns.

“And we will continue to stand up for our residents, who time and again are let down by the council, whether it be the lack of priority given to basic services, the frivolous wasting of their Council Tax or the repeated ignoring of their views.”

Responding the defection, Conservative Cllr Toby Slade, who represents the Muscliff & Strouden Park ward, said: “Two now-ex Conservative BCP councillors may have chosen a different path, but my mission remains unchanged. To deliver real results for residents, protect local services, and advocate for our communities.

“Now more than ever, we need steady, principled leadership rooted in service. I remain fully committed to the Conservative values that brought me into public life. Faith, family, and community.”