A STOURPORT Councillor who was recently the county’s highways chief has jumped ship from Reform UK to the Conservative Party. Coun Karl Perks, who was Worcestershire’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport during the previous Reform UK administration, announced that he resigned from Reform because he felt it was impossible to represent the party while remaining true to his own principles. Reform UK have lost six seats on Worcestershire County Council since the May 2025 elections through members leaving the party, most notably former leader Coun Jo Monk. “I found myself criticised, abused and isolated by the Reform Party. Coun Perks claimed that within Reform UK, standards appeared inconsistent, legitimate questions were too often viewed as disloyalty and personalities increasingly seemed to matter more than principles.