Reform UK Councillor James Sidlow Resigns Cambridgeshire County Council, 2026

Key Points

• Reform UK councillor James Sidlow resigned from Cambridgeshire County Council just weeks after the party’s 2025 local election breakthrough
• Sidlow won the Ramsey and Bury division in 2025 with a 41.1% swing from Conservatives to Reform UK
• His departure reduces Reform UK’s county council representation from 10 councillors to seven
• The party has already lost two other members: Cllr Des Watt (who became independent) and Cllr Andy Osborn (disqualified for electoral law breach)
• The resignation triggers a by-election in Ramsey, potentially costing council taxpayers up to £30,000
• Cllr Ross Martin (Conservative) stated Sidlow “abruptly resigned his seat for undisclosed reasons”
• Sidlow had not responded to CambsNews’ request for comment at the time of publication
• One source told CambsNews the departure had been “on the cards” for some time, though Sidlow was regarded as hard-working
• Reform UK group leader Ryan Coogan had not commented on the resignation when reported
• Conservative councillors highlighted that nearly a third of Reform’s Cambridgeshire group has left within its first year

Cambridgeshire County Council(Cambridge Tribune) May 30, 2026 – Only weeks after celebrating a local election breakthrough, Reform UK has been dealt a fresh setback following the resignation of Cllr James Sidlow from Cambridgeshire County Council. Sidlow won the Ramsey and Bury division in 2025, securing the seat with a 41.1 per cent swing from the Conservatives to Reform. His departure reduces Reform’s representation on the county council from 10 councillors to seven, according to CambsNews.

Why Did James Sidlow Leave Reform UK and Cambridgeshire County Council?

At the time of publication, Sidlow had not responded to a call from CambsNews seeking comment on his resignation, as reported by CambsNews. One source told the publication that his departure had been “on the cards” for some time, although he was regarded locally as a hard-working representative.

Cllr Ross Martin, Conservative county councillor for Warboys and The Stukeleys, said Sidlow had “abruptly resigned his seat for undisclosed reasons”, according to CambsNews. He added that this triggers yet another by-election in Ramsey, which will cost the public tens of thousands of pounds and leave the division without representation for at least a month or two.

Cllr Richard Tomlinson, Conservative district councillor for St Neots Priory Park and Little Paxton, said on social media that he did not know why Sidlow had chosen to stand down.

“People leave public office for all sorts of personal, professional or family reasons, and it would be wrong to speculate,”

he wrote, according to CambsNews.

“But the wider pattern is hard to ignore”.

How Many Reform UK Councillors Have Left Cambridgeshire Since 2025?

The party had already lost two members before Sidlow’s resignation, as reported by CambsNews. Cllr Des Watt, elected for Yaxley and Farcet in 2025, left Reform to sit as a non-aligned independent before briefly joining Advance UK and later returning to independent status. Reform also lost Andy Osborn, who represented the Roman Bank and Peckover division in Fenland, after he was disqualified for breaching electoral law following a defamatory social media post about a Conservative candidate.

Cllr Richard Tomlinson noted that “in just over a year, nearly a third of Reform’s Cambridgeshire County Council group has gone — through resignation, defection or disqualification following electoral offences”, according to CambsNews. He added: “When councillors resign, defect or are removed from office, residents can be left without representation for weeks or months. By-elections cost public money — tens of thousands of pounds. Casework is disrupted and local people are the ones who lose out”.

What Work Did James Sidlow Do as Ramsey and Bury Councillor?

In February, Sidlow provided residents with a detailed update on local issues, as reported by CambsNews. He highlighted Cambridgeshire County Council’s expansion of pothole repair resources to 30 crews and the addition of a “dragon patcher” vehicle, while encouraging residents to continue reporting problems through the county’s highways portal. He also noted his appointment to the highways committee.

Other updates included attendance at Holocaust Memorial events, a visit to Magnolia Park, improvements to local Cambs Wi-Fi services and action to clear blocked gullies on New Road, according to CambsNews.

Sidlow was no stranger to Reform voters in the area. In 2024, he stood for the North West Cambridgeshire parliamentary seat, finishing third ahead of both Liberal Democrat and Green Party candidates, as reported by CambsNews. Labour’s Sam Carling won the constituency, defeating then Conservative MP Shailesh Vara by just 39 votes.

What Has Reform UK Leadership Said About the Resignation?

Ryan Coogan, leader of Reform’s 10-member group on Huntingdonshire District Council and the party’s Cambridgeshire spokesperson, had not commented on Sidlow’s resignation at the time of publication, according to CambsNews.

However, Coogan had made notable comments following Reform’s district council success. He said at the time: “We need honesty. We cannot keep spraying taxpayers’ money up the wall”, as reported by CambsNews. Speaking at his first Huntingdonshire District Council meeting earlier this month, Coogan said: “Here I am standing up for the people. Those hard-working people struggling to make ends meet. Struggling to choose between heating and eating, being bled dry … our Lib Dems and Greens or local independents who formed one of these bonkers, nuttier-than-a-nut-roast, scratch-backs rainbow coalitions are deciding which vanity project to waste your tax money on next”.

Coogan continued: “It is open season in Hunts for the Argos catalogue of vanity projects. Despite the people rejecting it, somehow the Lib Dems clung to power. But your Reformers will do our best to breathe as much common sense as we can. I will always stand up and always be on the side of real people and real issues that affect daily life”, according to CambsNews.

How Much Will the Ramsey By-Election Cost Council Taxpayers?

The resignation will trigger a by-election, potentially costing council taxpayers up to £30,000, as reported by CambsNews. Referring to the cost of the vote, Cllr Ross Martin said: “Losing 30 per cent of a political group within its very first year is a massive blow, and ultimately it is the local residents who suffer the most during the turmoil”.

Cllr Richard Tomlinson added: “And this is not just happening in Cambridgeshire. Across the country, Reform UK has seen a noticeable number of councillors resign, defect, be suspended or lose office soon after being elected. Whatever people think of Reform nationally, voters locally deserve councillors who will still be there after the election is over. That should not be too much to ask”, according to CambsNews.

Background of James Sidlow’s Resignation and Reform UK’s Cambridgeshire Development

James Sidlow’s resignation represents a significant developing story for Reform UK in Cambridgeshire, occurring just months after the party achieved its breakthrough in the 2025 local elections. The 41.1% swing from Conservatives to Reform UK in the Ramsey and Bury division that secured Sidlow’s seat demonstrated substantial voter dissatisfaction with established parties in the area.

The context of this resignation includes Reform UK’s broader struggles with councillor retention across Cambridgeshire. Within just over a year of the 2025 elections, the party has lost three of its original 10 county councillors through different mechanisms: Sidlow’s resignation, Des Watt’s defection to independent status, and Andy Osborn’s disqualification for electoral law breaches. This represents a 30% loss of the group in its first year, a statistic highlighted by Conservative councillors as particularly damaging to local representation.

Des Watt’s journey from Reform UK to independent status, then briefly to Advance UK, and back to independent status illustrates the instability within the party’s local representation. Andy Osborn’s disqualification followed a defamatory social media post about a Conservative candidate, which his group leader described as “clumsy and regrettable”.

The financial implications extend beyond the immediate £30,000 by-election cost. Each councillor departure disrupts casework, leaves constituents without representation for weeks or months, and undermines the party’s credibility following their election promises about standing up for hard-working people struggling with heating and eating costs.

Prediction: How This Development Will Affect Cambridgeshire Residents and Reform UK Supporters

The resignation of Cllr James Sidlow will have several immediate and longer-term effects on different audiences in Cambridgeshire. Local residents in the Ramsey and Bury division will face at least one to two months without direct representation on the county council, during which their casework and local concerns may experience delays in handling, as noted by Cllr Richard Tomlinson.

Council taxpayers across Cambridgeshire will bear the cost of the upcoming by-election, estimated at up to £30,000, funds that Conservative councillors argue could be better spent on local services rather than repeated electoral processes. This cost becomes particularly significant when considering that Reform UK has already triggered similar by-elections through the departures of Des Watt and Andy Osborn.

Reform UK supporters in Cambridgeshire will face uncertainty about the party’s stability and commitment to their elected positions. The loss of 30% of the county council group within its first year undermines the party’s messaging about standing up for real people and real issues affecting daily life, as promoted by group leader Ryan Coogan. Voters who chose Reform UK based on promises of honesty and stopping wasteful spending on “vanity projects” may question whether their councillors will remain in office long enough to deliver on these commitments.

The Conservative Party in Cambridgeshire may benefit politically from this instability, as they can position themselves as the stable alternative for voters concerned about councillor retention and consistent representation. Cllr Ross Martin’s statement that “losing 30 per cent of a political group within its very first year is a massive blow” highlights how this development could influence future electoral decisions.

For the broader political landscape in Cambridgeshire, this pattern of councillor departures may contribute to voter cynicism about new political parties’ ability to maintain their elected representatives. As Cllr Tomlinson observed, “voters locally deserve councillors who will still be there after the election is over,” suggesting that future voters may weigh councillor retention histories more heavily when making electoral choices.

The by-election itself will test whether Reform UK can maintain its hold on the Ramsey and Bury division despite the controversy surrounding Sidlow’s departure. Given the 41.1% swing that originally brought Sidlow to office, the seat remains competitive, but the party’s instability could provide opportunities for Conservative, Liberal Democrat, or independent candidates to regain the division.