16/04/2026
In response to recent reports by Deeside.com regarding a councillor from Connahโs Quay joining Reform UK, we want to be absolutely clear about our position.
Members of our group on Connah's Quay Town Council have, over a sustained period, worked collaboratively and constructively with the Independent group in the best interests of local residents. That approach has always been rooted in putting the community first, regardless of political alignment.
This development will not diminish the constructive and positive working relationships we continue to have with other Independent councillors, which remain essential to delivering for our community.
However, Cllr Richardsonโs decision to join Reform UK represents a serious and concerning shift. Reform UK has built a reputation for saying one thing to voters and doing another. It talks about standing up for local communities, yet repeatedly promotes policies that would strip back funding and weaken the very public services local authorities like Flintshire County Council and towns like Connahโs Quay rely on.
It claims to support accountability, yet too often resorts to simplistic slogans instead of offering credible, workable solutions.
Cllr Richardson has repeatedly claimed to stand for โpeople before politicsโ. His decision to join Reform UK makes that claim increasingly difficult to take seriously. You cannot put people first while aligning yourself with a party defined by division, empty slogans, and political posturing.
This is not just a change of political badge. It is a move towards a style of politics that thrives on division, trades in easy answers, and avoids the responsibility that comes with real decision making.
As a result, while we will continue to act professionally, we will be watching Cllr Richardsonโs actions extremely closely and holding him firmly to account. That means challenging decisions that do not stand up to scrutiny and calling out inaction where it fails residents.
There will be no benefit of the doubt here. The people of Connahโs Quay and beyond deserve serious representation, not political posturing.
Our focus remains on delivering for residents and upholding transparency, accountability, and strong leadership across the council.