District councillor Barry Manners, who is one of the members for Cliftonville East, has today (January 14) announced that he has joined Reform.
Cllr Manners has sat as an Independent since resigning from the Conservative Party last May.
Cllr Manners, who was elected on a Tory ticket in 2023, was suspended from the group after endorsing Independent candidate Ian Driver for the villages by-election last year.
He was informed of the suspension and a motion to expel him by then Thanet Conservative leader Cllr Reece Pugh.
At that time Cllr Manners said he was ‘not minded’ to fight the expulsion.
Now he joins two other Reform members on the district council – Cllr Peter Evans who won the Thanet Villages by-election last year and Cllr Darren Oxborrow who was elected to the Garlinge seat following a by-election in October after former councillor John Worrow stepped down.
Cllr Manners, who also heads up Friends of Botany Bay CIC, said: “I have today announced that I have joined Reform UK and will now sit as a Reform UK councillor on Thanet District Council.
“This decision reflects my belief that local people deserve honest representation, strong accountability, and councillors who are prepared to challenge business as usual.
“Reform UK has consistently argued for common-sense policies, better value for taxpayers, and a return to decision-making that puts communities first rather than party convenience.
“As a Reform councillor, I will be able to sit on committees within Thanet District Council, ensuring Reform UK’s principles are represented where real decisions are made. It will also allow me to engage with Reform UK’s work at a national level, helping to connect local priorities in Thanet with wider policy discussions.
“Nationally, I believe Reform UK represents our last real chance to reverse the managed decline of the last 30 years—decline that has left public trust damaged, services overstretched, and many people feeling ignored by the political establishment.
“Juvenile party politics remains irrelevant to me and always will. My focus remains the same: standing up for residents, demanding transparency, and working hard to deliver practical results for Thanet. Thank you to everyone who has offered support.”
Reform’s Cllr John Finch said: “East Thanet Reform is pleased to announce that councillor Barry Manners, who has represented Cliftonville West as an independent has officially joined the party today.
“The move reflects a shift in the local political landscape at Thanet District Council and on the success of the recent Garlinge by election which followed the landslide results in Kent for Reform as it broadens its appeal across the country, with many realising that the old political consensus is broken.
“Nigel Farage’s party is the only viable alternative for those who put their community first.
“More high profile defections were recently announced, but for us in Thanet the local shift is seen as just the beginning. We are thrilled to welcome Barry Manners ,a councillor who puts his constituency and community first.
“This was well demonstrated after securing the piece of land along the Ridings at Palm Bay .His dedication to the cause has brought satisfaction and security for many local residents together with the wider community.”
Thanet council is made up of 56 councillors – Labour 30, Conservative 14, Green 6 (an addition of one with the defection of Rob Yates from Labour to Green), Independent 3 and Reform 3.
Vote reform, you get a tory on steroids
If you vote Labour you don’t get Barry Lewis as he was kicked out of the party. Many more will follow as they leach members to Corbyn’s Your Party and the now radical Green Party led by Zack Polanski.
“Your Party” fell apart in arguments before it even started! “Green” are no longer Green, and seem more obsessed with what’s going on in other countries than the fast-diminishing Kent countryside.
I thought “Your Party” was a parody political movement. As soon as I saw Corbyn was involved it just looked like a bunch of 1970s time travellers. They’re actually serious ????
James , incorrect, I RESIGNED from the national Labour Party due
to their attack on pensioners (winter fuel payments) and their support of genocide in the Middle East.
Mr Lewis – did you not resign as those clowns would not adopt you officially in any capacity? They wanted you out and electorate then spoke when you stood as individual. Best stay clear as Labour locally and nationally a total disaster and unelectable in future.
Fedup,yes i stood as a independent and got a respectable 16 percent of vote , coming 3rd ahead of tories and lib dems.
Barry. You close not to resign as a County Councillor though did you? You continued as an Independent.
Then, when you stood as an Independent candidate you got 629 votes out of a possible 15243 & the Green Party chose not to field a candidate in a vain attempt to assist you to be re-elected.
And the Labour Party are better how exactly?
Right wing musical chairs. If you want to disband the NHS, vote for this bloke!
How do you come to this conclusion??
It’s Reform policy to sell it off completely. Have you been living in a well?
Dave, that is an absolute lie, I appreciate everyone has different political views but please get your facts right before commenting on a party that you do not follow.
Keith Veness – and who in their right mind would ever vote Labour again!
Absolutley
What made me laugh is the old man that says the Conservatives are on a resurgence, nearly wet myself.
Mr brown, I resigned 5 months before mays election, you are not obviously aware there can NOT be a by election within 6 months of the scheduled election. If i had resigned margate would have no county councillor for 5 months.
That s why i did not resign. I am proud of my record as a councillor for 8 years.
Barry. I am fully aware of the by-election rules & I am equally aware that you chose not to resign from the Labour party until after the 6 month deadline to allow another vote had passed.
The cynic in me has always wonder why that was.
“…ensuring Reform UK’s principles are…”
Some mistake, surely?
That’s Bad Manners!
Renember there wasnt going to be an increase in Council tax under Reform KCC and they too have joined the U turn club.They arent any better than anyone else.Does Thanet look cleaner.Its still looks bloody awful.
Leader of KCC recently put out a statement debunking your claim.
And here is the headline I am most proud to share, the one that has dominated the headlines for months. Through sound financial management and sensible efficiencies, we have kept council tax below the level people expected.
This Draft Budget proposes a council tax rise of 3.99%, instead of the 5% we have every reason to believe was planned by the previous administration.
And we have done this without cutting frontline services. Many of those services will actually see increased investment because we know that they matter to people’s lives.
Is there any point to reform now? It’s all just conservative party rejects
To be fair, Your Party are nothing but Labour rejects.
Both are awful and will increase the demise of this country. All parties are big business stooges. We’re screwed from all sides now.
No there isn’t
Another political chameleon showing a complete disrespect to the electorate who voted for them.
I’ve said this before. There should be a rule around Councillors changing party mid-election cycle. They should stand down and personally fund the cost of a by election at which they can stand under their new Party.
Cllrs and MPs. Agree totally.
Every time a councillor does this our vote is made a laughing stock. One man has not taken loyalty or what the local electorate decided seriously. The political climate has not changed. Only he has.
I loved his reggae version of the ‘Can Can’ song!
Lip up fatty!
Now he wants to stand against 30 years of managed decline? Which party was in power for 14 of the last 15? Oh, his party, the Conservatives. Not one of these defectors is interested in anything more than what they can get. Embarrassing.
And @james – a 4% increase is still an increase, something they promised they wouldn’t do. Imagine being proud of that.
I endorse these comments. If this person was elected because of his political affiliation, surely if he, or others, change parties shouldn’t there be an election? I would certainly never vote for any reform candidate. Surely it can’t be right to switch parties and surely not to this shower.
Vote reform and get Tory. It’s not reform at all.
Who is fooled by this nonsense. Desperate sad little (mostly) men attempting to jump to where they think theyll retain their power. No morals.
Ridiculous that reform are just taking all the Tories tbh. Public will start to reject this especially with the dubious higher profile ones they’ve taken on. The EX Boris gang. How do they think people will believe they are “reform”
I’ll probably vote for (the real) Tories next time. Would be wonderful see a black woman as PM, something that will NEVER happen with Reform or Labour.
She’s gone up further in my estimation after her actions today.
So finally, we get to the bottom, if we may call it that, of the Checksfield link! When the party he really supports,the tories, is in difficulties, he denies supporting them, and hey presto! He backs Labour,the Greens,or Reform.Reform is as we see here just a variation of the tories, the tories are just a version of the tories.The Greens are garnering support from the left,Your party is not your party if you look for unity,and the Liberal Democrats are stunt stages.
Sharon is quite correct,Cllr elected on one ticket, seem to think it’s OK to switch to a flag of convenience. We’ll it’s not OK,because not only makes them look a laughing stock, it is disrespectful to those who voted for them and the community.
Ask many outside Thanet what they think of the place, and you will get a negative response, mainly because those who purport to lead Thanet, act like “bad” Manners
As for James,I would say the KCC budget process is not yet complete, the savings Reform boasted about with its DOLGE, turned out to be tiny or wholly fallacious, and for some reason which is beyond my understanding, this pointless central government gave these idiots more money, to claim success with.
James, you will be able to demonstrate to us all, where public services are improving, because it’s not in the realm of public transport, as David Green found out.
Remember James, Reform are still in year one, there are 3 to go.
What I want to see, is level headed government, that uses facts not fairy stories to sustain its governance.I want the water industry nationalised, the bus industry at least franchised or under tge control of a CIC, Britain in a customs union with tge EU, and less racism on all sides, is that so much to ask for?
I can assure you, I have never backed Reform. Please stop making up lies.
But you stick to your sexist and racist Liebour party.
Do you realise George that it is perfectly ok to change the Party you vote in different elections based on their Policies and track record. Or based on tactical voting in an area like Thanet.
I have probably voted for all the Parties at one point or another. The question I ask myself before an election is simply “which Party will realistically have the greatest positive impact on the living standards of my family ?” The answer to this question will change over time. At the present time, as I’m not an asylum seeker or non working benefit claimant the answer will not be the Labour Party.
His dedication to the cause? He and lots of neighbours clubbed together to get the ridings so no one could build in front of their houses, that’s why, it was for his benefit as much as anyone elses.
This is why no one likes or trusts politicians, twisting the story to fit their own narrative.
Wish he was my neighbour.