Dudley Council has its first member from Reform UK after Shaun Keasey revealed he had joined the party.

Cllr Keasey, a former member of the Conservative Party, had been sitting as an independent since 2023 when he quit, claiming the Tories had become ‘too extreme’.

He revealed he joined Reform in 2024 after declaring as councillor for the party over the weekend.

Cllr Keasey said: “I have become frustrated with national politics, I am part of the hospitality industry and I have watched that being pulled apart by successive governments who just don’t appear to understand it.

“Locally I am frustrated with the current state of Dudley Council, it is being run for the benefit of the political few rather than the residents. I believe Reform are doing their best to move in the right direction to become the representative party we desperately need.”

Cllr Keasy was elected to the council in 2024 as an independent and joined Reform later.

He says he has declared himself for the party now after a long process to be recognised as a candidate, and he has not yet decided whether he will stand for election to the council again.

He said: “My politics hasn’t changed, I want to represent the people of Sedgley to the best of my ability.

“I understand there is a difference between being an independent and part of a party – you have to operate in a different way.

“I understand as part of a party the views you put forward have to reflect the members you represent.”

Reform is on a political high with big success in this year’s council elections and will be standing in every seat when Dudley goes to the polls next year.

The party is expecting gains from all sides in Dudley but Cllr Keasey says his move is not political opportunism to jump onto a successful bandwagon.

He said: “The key desire of every politician is to get into a position of power to enact the policies in which they believe, I am not sure I would describe that as opportunism, I would describe that as political realism.”

He says he is in favour of Reform’s plans on tax to ‘put more money in people’s pockets’ and has a clear view on one of the party’s favourite subjects – immigration.

Cllr Keasey said: “I can only talk about me, I have no issue with immigration when it is a positive thing.

“Legal immigration – I haven’t got a problem as long as it is for the benefit of the country.

“Parties are made up of political views from across the spectrum, if I felt someone was reflecting views I’m not comfortable with I will tell them.”

Richard Tasker, chairperson of Reform UK in Dudley, said: “Reform is immensely proud to have managed to get Shaun to come over.

“We have always admired him, he is somebody who will speak the truth and fight for local people and that is what Reform is about.

“By Shaun becoming the first councillor in Dudley we are planting a flag to say we are here and not going away.”