The leader of Crawley’s Conservatives has wished a councillor the best of luck following his defection to Reform – saying he will need it.
Councillor Duncan Crow said Craig Burke, who represents Pound Hill South and Worth on Crawley Borough Council, was being used as a ‘propaganda tool’ by Reform.
And he was critical of Cllr Burke’s decision to switch parties rather than resigning as a councillor and standing under the Reform banner in a by-election – allowing residents to decide whether they still wanted him as their representative.
Cllr Crow said: “This would have enabled him to stand in a by-election under his new party colours, at the same time as next week’s elections at no extra cost to the council.
“The fact they didn’t do this tells you everything about how Reform are treating the voters in Pound Hill.”
Cllr Burke was elected to the borough council in 2023.
Speaking following his defection in April, he said: “Crawley is a town that I care deeply about. I was born here, I’ve lived here all my life, it’s where my family are.
“Being your councillor in Pound Hill South and Worth has been a tremendous honour for me and it’s my belief that I’m better suited to represent you as a Reform UK councillor.”
Cllr Crow had no time for Reform claims that it was "the beginning of the end" for the Conservatives in Crawley.
He said: “I remember in 2013 when we Conservatives had a Crawley councillor and a few party members defect to UKIP.
“They all soon disappeared into obscurity and within two years we Conservatives won the General Election.
“History has a habit of repeating itself, especially with Nigel Farage’s parties, and no amount of bogus claims from Reform can deny the fact that in Crawley, we Conservatives will always be the only credible alternative to Labour.”
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