Councillor defects to Conservatives citing ‘fractured’ opposition
Richard Youle, Local Democracy Reporter
A councillor has defected to the Welsh Conservatives, saying he felt they offered more effective opposition to the ruling Labour group.
Mark Tribe first become a councillor in 2022, representing Llangyfelach. He was one of two Independent@Swansea councillors. Five non-aligned Independent councillors were elected as well.
Independent and Independent@Swansea councillors are part of the main Liberal Democrat-Independent opposition group in Swansea.
Referring to the Independent and Independent@Swansea component of this group, Cllr Tribe said: “I was a little bit disappointed that we were not working as a team – we were a little bit fractured and fragmented. I didn’t think we could form an effective opposition in those conditions.”
He added: “They are a lovely bunch of people but, I believe, there was no team ethos. I didn’t think I was going to change the strategy internally.”
Cllr Tribe said he’d been mulling over a move and was relieved by the fact he hadn’t received any negative feedback from constituents having informed them of his switch to the Conservatives.
Cllr Susan Jones, who leads the Independent grouping, said: “The nature of being Independent is that you’re Independent – everyone’s opinion is respected,” she said.
“I don’t think Mark understood the Independent bit of it. If we don’t agree with something we don’t vote for it. We are not a team in the sense that Mark would want us to be.” She added that she was sorry to see him go.
Cllr Tribe, 68, used to work for the Royal Mail, becoming a distribution manager in North London, before a stint working at Llangyfelach Primary School. He said he voted Conservative at general elections and believed the Swansea Conservatives offered effective opposition.
He reckoned that most voters, if they were happy with their councillor, voted at council elections for the individual rather than their political badge.
Asked if some Llangyfelach electors might feel let down given his switch to the Tories, Cllr Tribe said: “I do appreciate that and can understand it. If they feel that strongly they can vote accordingly in May 2027 (next council election).”
Swansea has 75 councillors. Labour has 45 of them, including two Labour and Cooperative Party members, the Liberal Democrats have 11, the Swansea Conservatives have five, the Uplands Party has two, and the Green Party and Reform UK have one each. There are also nine Independent councillors, and one Independent@Swansea councillor.
Welcoming Cllr Tribe to the Tory fold, Swansea Conservatives leader Cllr Lyndon Jones said: “He will make a great contribution. He’s a great local councillor.”
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Independent’s in Wales are normally right wing/far-right politicians who know that if they were honest with their views they would never get voted in.
Cetainly true in my experience, particularly in rural areas.
Reform didn’t answer his calls?
He’ll get there via the ‘Unite the right’ merger.
So Reform get him to join the Cons for a short while to throw the suspicious off the scent before Nigel can announce The Great Defection of all Welsh Cons to Reform that no-one saw coming? Smart move.
This is why ‘Independents’ must be researched before casting a vote. This Llangyfelach, Abertawe councillor has been working away under the radar but has now outed himself as anti Welsh. What an unforgivable insult to the people of our country and in particular, pobl Abertawe. I suppose we should be grateful that we now know what he is about and has gone to join his ‘Tribe’. PUN INTENDED.
Our independent was all for taking part in the raise the flag scheme run by the extreme far right. Thing is, I don’t think he had a clue, I think he thought it just sort of sounded nice, Union flags up every lamppost. The facebook post on the local facebook page he ran went away.
And he gets a say in funding.