The local Conservative Party is in “disarray” after defections caused the group to lose its majority at Canterbury City Council.

Less than a month before local elections, four councillors have now ditched the Tories to sit under the new banner of the Independent Serve to Lead Group (ISLG).

Cllr Ashley Clark handed council leader Ben Fitter-Harding his resignation last week to found the group with fellow councillor Colin Spooner, who resigned from the ruling party in February.

The other members are Cllr Anne Dekker, who did not seek reselection to stand for the Conservatives, and Cllr Peter Vickery-Jones, who resigned from the party last month.

Cllr Clark says he has become disillusioned with the Conservative Party on a national level, and disagreed with important aspects of the local plan - its housing blueprint for the district.

“The Conservative Party has let down the public appallingly,” said Cllr Clark.

“The local plan is not balanced and it's the wrong way around - it’s all about building all the houses first and putting the infrastructure second.

“Ben Fitter-Harding has an incredibly difficult job and certain proposals in the plan are visionary, but I really think we could have taken a different direction in regards to housing.”

With a total of 38 seats in CCC, the changes have reduced the Conservatives' numbers from 20 to 16, meaning they no longer hold the majority of seats in the body.

With just a few weeks left of the current administration, the defections are unlikely to have much impact on council operations.

When asked to comment on the changes, Cllr Fitter-Harding said none of the departing councillors were due to be on the ballot paper for the Tories next month in any event.

He added: "While I would not speak ill of my former colleagues, their replacements being stood by the Conservatives for CCC in this election are experienced, energetic and ready to be the voice of the electorate in the council chamber.

“I will continue to serve as leader until the end of this council, and firmly believe that our promise to the electorate to Do the Basics Brilliantly will see the Conservatives returned for another term.”

Cllr Spooner, who represents Seasalter, says he was chosen to stand for the Tories but declined to run.

Cllr Fitter-Harding says Cllr Spooner was put on an approved list and later removed, and was never selected for a seat.

Herne and Broomfield representative Cllr Dekker says she told party chiefs before Christmas that she would not be seeking to represent the Conservatives at next month's election. She resigned from the party this week.

Rival parties say the defections represent a major failure for Cllr Fitter-Harding, who has led the council since 2020.

“The Conservatives have lost their majority, and Ben Fitter-Harding lost whatever was left of his crumbling mandate to lead,” said Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Mike Sole.

“If even his own councillors are deserting the Conservative Party, how can he possibly expect local residents to vote Conservative on May 4?”

Likewise, Labour's Alan Baldock said: “The Canterbury Conservative Party has collapsed just weeks before the local election.

“Ben Fitter-Harding has lost overall control of the council and any legitimacy that remained with him."

Green Party councillor Clare Turnbull added that it was “disappointing to see local representatives fighting amongst themselves”.

While independent councillor Terry Westgate, who left the Tories two years ago, said he wasn’t surprised others had followed suit “because of the way the Conservatives have been doing things”.

“The Conservatives have done nothing new for the city for the last two years since I became an independent," he said.

“How they’re going to win a single seat, I don’t know."

The Independent Serve to Lead Group will feature an owl as its logo.

“I think it's basically a group that believes in integrity in politics,” added Cllr Clark.

“We’ve chosen a logo of an owl because the owl represents vision and wisdom, and occasionally ruffles feathers - in fact it represents everything that other political parties are not.”