Two Reform councillors RESIGN from the ruling party at West Northamptonshire Council – leaving Reform close to losing overall control

Two Reform councillors resigned from the party on West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and have become Independent councillors.

Councillor Kathryn Shaw (Upton ward) resigned on Sunday, citing concerns over safeguarding culture and the need to speak openly about child protection without political constraint.

Councillor Joanne Blythe (Headlands ward) was suspended on Saturday pending investigation after stating she was intending to leave the party. She resigned from Reform on Monday. She said she could “no longer continue in the “current environment” and criticised the handling of complaints, a lack of transparency, and what she believed was unfair treatment of her.

In response, a spokesperson for Reform said Councillor Shaw had “betrayed the mandate her residents had given her” by resigning from the party and that she had become “increasingly disgruntled” after she was removed from her cabinet role. The spokesperson also confirmed Councillor Blythe was suspended after indicating her intention to leave the party.

Reform won 42 seats at the May 2025 local elections, taking control of the authority less than a year ago. Following the two resignations announced today, and the earlier suspension of councillor Adam Smith in June 2025, the party has now lost three councillors from its original intake.

The changes leave Reform with 39 councillors – the exact number required for overall control of the 76-seat authority. Any further defections, suspensions or by-election defeats would see the party lose its majority. If Reform were to fall below 39 seats, it would no longer have overall control and would need support from opposition or independent members to pass its budget and major policies, opening the door to a minority administration or potential leadership change.

Councillor Shaw, in a statement announcing her resignation, said it had not been an easy decision, nor a comfortable subject to address publicly.

“Silence or avoidance serves no one, least of all our children. We must address the elephant in the room. Across our country, and indeed globally, child exploitation is under increasing scrutiny. County lines, organised grooming, coercion and systemic failures in protection are not distant headlines. They are lived realities for vulnerable children and families. They represent not only criminality, but cultural complacency that has been allowed to persist for too long.

“For many years, uncomfortable conversations have too often been softened, delayed, or politicised.

“Safeguarding cannot operate within political constraint. It requires clarity, courage and an unwavering moral compass. It demands that we examine the culture that has developed across institutions, agencies and communities and ask whether it has truly prioritised children above all else,” she said.

“My decision is grounded in professional judgement and principle. I believe I can more effectively advocate for strong safeguarding systems, accountable governance and the removal of unnecessary bureaucracy affecting children and vulnerable people outside of a party structure,” Councillor Shaw added.

In her statement, Councillor Joanne Blythe said she could no longer continue under the current environment.

Councillor Blythe, who was suspended from the party over the weekend, said the suspension related solely to an enquiry made on behalf of another councillors regarding becoming an independent.

She said she was “confident that there will be no plausible findings of misconduct against me” and she categorically refuted any implication of misconduct.

“It is also deeply concerning to me that, while serious complaints have reportedly been raised within the Party structure, I have not seen equivalent transparency or resolution. The disparity in how matters appear to be handled has left me questioning the fairness of the internal culture,” she added.

Councillor Blythe said she had concerns about the treatment she had received, leading to her deciding to leave the party.

A Reform UK West Northants spokesperson said: "It is disappointing that Councillor Shaw has now chosen to resign from Reform UK, betraying the mandate her residents gave her and the activists who spent their time and energy to get her elected. “Councillor Shaw has been increasingly disgruntled ever since she was removed from the role of cabinet member for children and families in January, following serious concerns raised around confidentiality and conduct,” the spokesperson added.

Councillor Shaw, in response, said she was “yet to see evidence of that”. The Reform spokesperson added: "We can also confirm that councillor Joanne Blythe has been suspended pending investigation after indicating her intention to become an Independent councillor.”