Four Mid Suffolk councillors quit Tories over Labour's devolution plans

The big picture: James Caston, Lavinia Hadingham, Anders Linder and John Whitehead, who have 35 years combined experience, have created the Mid Suffolk Independents group, leaving just three Conservative representatives on the authority.

Why it matters: The split comes after Suffolk County Council voted to join the government's Devolution Priority Programme, which could lead to significant changes in local democracy by 2028.

The details: Under the government's December White Paper:

• A directly elected mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk could be in place by May 2026

• New unitary councils will be created by May 2027

• All district and borough councils would cease to exist from April 2028

• May 2025's county council elections will be cancelled

What they're saying: "We are both appalled and dismayed that our Conservative county colleagues have so swiftly embraced this change," the new independent group said in a statement, adding that the changes would cause "significant disruption to our council services," and create "a significantly larger and more remote unitary body," with "minimal" cost savings, and "another remote and expensive layer of bureaucracy."

The other side: The government believes fewer councils with more responsibilities could save money and improve services. It previously indicated merging councils could save £2bn.

Andy Mellen, leader of Mid Suffolk Council, said: "We welcome and respect that four of our opposition colleagues have acted in accordance with their values and conscience."

Harry Richardson, speaking on behalf of the local Conservatives, said the party was "sorry to see them go, but they remain good friends and valued colleagues."

For context: The Green Party continues to hold majority control of Mid Suffolk District Council, meaning the Conservative split will not affect the balance of power.

The bottom line: The reorganisation would be the biggest change to Suffolk's local government structure in decades, with the new independent group warning it would "remove an essential layer of local democracy."