Yeovil Tory councillor Steve Ashton has quit the party to stand as Reform UK’s parliamentary candidate against Tory MP Marcus Fysh. Judging by some of his views, Ashton might find himself a fish out of water with his Reform colleagues…

Ashton says his main reason for joining is his hatred for Fysh, who “doesn’t do anything for the town“. Yeovil’s Tories still failed to turn the tide against him…

“We tried to de-select Marcus Fysh but he turned to the electorate.”

Fysh slipped out of the association executive’s grasp by putting the decision over his re-selection to Tory members in April last year, who allowed him to cling on. Ashton, who describes himself as a “climate change zealot“, says the other part of the reason he switched sides is “his disappointment with its environmental policies” including the row-back on net zero. What will Richard Tice, who calls it “net stupid”, make of his newest recruit?