Cllr Iain McIntosh, the sole Conservative Powys County Councillor in Brecon and Radnorshire, has announced he has left the Conservative Party to join Reform UK.

In his resignation letter today, Cllr McIntosh explained that despite being a lifelong Conservative, he could no longer support a party that he believes has “abandoned the core values that once defined it”.

Cllr McIntosh was the Chairman of the Brecon, Radnor and Cwmtawe Conservative Association and Deputy Chairman for the party's Mid and West Wales region.

He expressed deep regret over his decision, but claimed that the party’s shift towards political correctness, divisive identity politics, and failure to address key national issues left him disillusioned. Cllr McIntosh criticised the Conservative Party’s leadership, accusing it of abandoning traditional conservative values.

Cllr McIntosh will now continue serving as a Powys County Councillor for the Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew ward under Reform UK, where he plans to join other councillors to form the county’s first Reform UK group at Powys County Council.

He is one of four Powys councillors who joined Reform UK today, alongside fellow former Conservative councillor Karl Lewis (Llandinam with Dolfor) and former Independent councillors Claire Johnson-Wood (Llanyre with Nantmel) and Geoff Morgan (Ithon Valley).

A Reform UK Wales spokesperson said: “Councillors have a strong track record of serving their communities, and we are confident they will continue to fight for the interests of their residents under the Reform UK banner. Their support further strengthens our commitment to challenging the status quo and delivering real solutions to the issues people care about.”

Cllr Claire Jonson-Wood said: “Whilst the traditional Political Parties have lost the confidence of the British people, there is one party that is increasing its support from the public daily – Reform UK. This party is in touch with the worries and concerns of the British public. This is why, from today, I have become part of the Reform UK group in Powys County Council. I believe this group will continue to attract members and will be able to reintroduce some good old-fashioned common sense into the way our county council is run, and in the future, Wales and indeed the UK. We need change, and Reform UK is the party to deliver it.”

Cllr Geoff Morgan said: “I believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you deserve a better lifestyle than those who don’t. You should also have the right to pass on the fruits of your labor to the next generation, giving them a better start in life. Today the work begins to ensure Reform UK leads Powys County Council after the 2027 elections.”

Cllr Karl Lewis said: “My commitment to the residents of the Llandinam with Dolfor Ward remains unwavering. I will continue to stand up for the issues that matter most to my constituents, working tirelessly to ensure their voices are heard and their interests are represented. My dedication to public service is as strong as ever, and I look forward to pursuing a political path that better reflects my values and the needs of those I serve.”

Cllr Iain McIntosh said: “Reform UK is now the only party that truly represents the values I have always believed in. It is the only party willing to stand up for free speech, for lower taxation, for real justice, and for the right of every British citizen to take pride in their country. It is the only party that is serious about reversing the national and local damage that has been done and about taking back control from the failed establishment that has betrayed us all.”

In his resignation letter, Cllr McIntosh also took aim at the Welsh Liberal Democrats and Labour-led Powys County Council, accusing them of failing to serve local residents with their broken promises and increasing council tax.

Joining Reform UK, he said, was the only way to champion values like free speech, lower taxation, and national pride.

“It is with the deepest regret that I announce my departure from the Conservative Party. This decision has not been made lightly, and it is one that fills me with great sadness. Having been a lifelong Conservative, serving as a Powys County Councillor since 2017, current Chairman of the Brecon, Radnor and Cwmtawe Conservative Association, and Deputy Chairman of the Mid and West Wales region for the party, I have dedicated much of my life to the Conservative cause. However, I can no longer ignore the fact that the party I once proudly supported has abandoned the core principles that once defined it. As such, I will now continue to serve as a Powys County Councillor for the Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew ward under Reform UK, joining other Powys County Councillors to establish Powys' first Reform UK group at Powys County Council.

For years, I fought to defend the Conservative Party as the natural home of those who believe in personal responsibility, hard work, low taxation, free speech, individual freedom, and national pride. But it has become painfully clear that the party has lost its way. The leadership and those in Westminster have surrendered to political correctness, embraced divisive identity politics, and allowed the erosion of everything that once made our country strong and successful. It is no longer the party of common sense and traditional Conservative values.

The journey that led to our broken country and fractured society did not begin with the Conservatives, but with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Through their socialist policies, laced with Marxist ideology, they transformed Britain into a nation where unfounded entitlement was placed above contribution, where excessive bureaucracy strangled enterprise, and where the fabric of our national identity was steadily eroded. They created a "where there's blame, there's a claim" culture, encouraged dependency on the state, and championed policies that have divided rather than united us.

The Conservative Party was supposed to reverse this damage, to fight back against the creeping socialism that was undermining our way of life. Instead, it capitulated. Rather than tackling the real issues, it became obsessed with internal leadership battles, with appeasing the left, and with embedding the very political correctness it once stood against. Meanwhile, our economy has suffered under high taxation and stagnant growth, while those who work the hardest are punished and those who refuse to contribute are rewarded.

Another factor that has contributed to the Conservative Party's decline is the infiltration of individuals who do not share true conservative values. Over the years, the Liberal Democrat Party has moved further to the left, adopting increasingly radical policies that alienated many of their traditional members. As a result, some of these disillusioned former Lib Dems sought a new political home. Due to a weak Conservative Party member and candidate selection process, many of them were able to join the party, and in some cases, even get elected as Conservative representatives. This has significantly weakened the party from within, diluting its core principles and accelerating its shift towards the left. Instead of standing firm against socialism and progressive overreach, the Conservative Party has become a broad church of conflicting ideologies, unable to take a decisive stand on key issues. This failure of leadership and conviction has left the party unrecognisable to those of us who have been Conservatives all our lives.

Perhaps most concerning of all is the loss of free speech. We were once a country that prided itself on open debate, on the right to express different opinions, and on the fundamental principle that freedom of thought is essential to a functioning democracy. That is no longer the case. Today, people face arrest and even prison time for so-called "offensive" speech, often simply for stating facts that challenge the leftist narrative. The Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and Senedd member, Jane Dodds MS, has even insisted people with opposing views to her own should not be allowed into the Senedd. Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights was never meant to police opinions, yet it is now being used as a weapon to silence those who dare to speak out. Meanwhile, serious criminals—including a violent drunk Labour MP who battered a constituent—are given leniency, while ordinary citizens are treated as criminals for speaking their minds.

In our schools, colleges, and universities, radical left-wing ideology has been allowed to take root unchecked. Our children are being indoctrinated with anti-British sentiment, taught to be ashamed of our history, and encouraged to embrace socialism without any understanding of its failures. They idolised Jeremy Corbyn and, even now, many still believe socialism is the answer—despite being unable to name a single country where it has been a success. When challenged, their only response is to resort to insults, threats, or attempts to censor opposing views.

The Conservative Party has allowed this to happen. It has failed to stand up for free speech, for common sense, or for the people it was elected to serve. It has refused to take the bold steps necessary to fix our broken country. Even since the party's biggest election loss in its history last July, their heads have gone back into the sand, with a 'let's keep calm and carry on' attitude. Nothing has changed, and that is why, with great disappointment, I have made the decision to leave.

Locally, as the Liberal Democrat and Labour led Powys County Council has failed residents with broken local service provision, high Council Tax increases, and broken promise after broken promise, they simply cannot be trusted.

Reform UK is now the only party that truly represents the values I have always believed in. It is the only party willing to stand up for free speech, for lower taxation, for real justice, and for the right of every British citizen to take pride in their country. It is the only party that is serious about reversing the national and local damage that has been done and about taking back control from the failed establishment that has betrayed us all.

Never before has our country faced such an existential threat from within. If we do not act now, we will fail not only those who came before us, who built and defended this country, but also future generations who deserve a Britain that is strong, free, and prosperous. That is why I have joined Reform UK—to stand and fight for real change, to push back against the decline, and to do everything in my power to help restore the values and principles that made our country great.

I encourage others who share my concerns to join us. The more of us who take a stand, the sooner we can begin to reclaim our country from the grip of socialism and political correctness. We owe it to the generations before us, and to those yet to come.

This is a fight for Britain's future. Let's make sure we win it.”