Two Warwickshire councillors have quit Reform UK for Restore Britain to hand their new party a kingmaker's role at the county council.

Restore Britain supremo this morning (Friday, June 26) announced that Cllr Dan Glover (New Bilton & Overslade) and Cllr Rob Aitkenhead (Coleshill North & Water Orton) had made the jump.

They follow in the footsteps of Cllr Luke Cooper (Studley) and Cllr Scott Cameron (Coleshill South & Arley) who switched over in February 2026, meaning the MP Rupert Lowe's new political movement now has greater representation at Warwickshire County Council than Labour inside its first year of existence.

Mr Lowe offered his newcomers a "warm welcome" on social media site X and insisted: "We have had a number of defection applications come in and we have been very careful about who we have been willing to take on. Rejections have been made.

"Dan and Rob are patriots who want the best for their community, constituents and country – just what we are looking for. Great news."

And with the overall political balance at Shire Hall being particularly delicate, it means that Restore's four members could hold the balance of power in full council votes.

Reform has often relied on the support of nine Conservative councillors – or at least some of them – to win full council votes in the past year but even with a full house of Reform, Tory and supportive independent councillors, leader Cllr George Finch can now only get to 28 votes – 29 represents a majority.

The Liberal Democrats (14), the Green Party (6), Labour (3), suspended Green Councillor Sam Jones and sole Whitnash Residents representative Cllr Judy Falp are capable of amassing 25 votes between them, putting Restore's quartet in a position to settle key verdicts dependent on turnout.

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The magic number of 29 votes does get reduced with councillors who are not present at meetings unable to vote and any abstentions – where councillors choose not to vote either way – further bringing the number of votes needed for a majority.

Nonetheless, it will be a hammerblow to Cllr Finch's group to be relying on a second party for support, or at least no dissent.

Reform formed a minority administration in May 2025 having become the largest party at Shire Hall with 22 – effectively 23 – seats. The 23rd member was Cllr Luke Shingler who stood on a Reform platform but had to revert to independent status because his job precluded him from having a formal political allegiance.

Cllr Ed Harris has continued to back Reform in votes despite surrendering the party whip having been dubbed a "rouge landlord" by Tamworth Borough Council in January, a moniker that he continues to contest.

The predicament is made even more tense by some Conservatives growing increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of backing Reform.

Two Tories – Cllr Chris Mills and Cllr Dean Richards – did not attend March's Green-led vote of no confidence in Cllr Finch's leadership.

Cllr Jan Matecki broke ranks and voted to oust Finch, immediately getting suspended from the county group but not the Conservative party for three months. Cllr Finch survived by 27 votes to 26.

Restore duo Cllr Cooper and Cllr Cameron abstained that day.

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