Fife Tories in turmoil as third councillor quits its ranks in as many weeks

James Leslie is the latest to quit the party, which is now down to just three elected members. At the last lections, it won eight seats at Fife House in Glenrothes.

Cllr Leslie said the Tory group was “no longer the right place for me” - but gave no further details.

He confirmed he will continue to represent Kirkcaldy North, sitting as an independent.

Cllr Leslie was elected in 2022, joining his daughter Kathleen, who was already a councillor for Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy, and who went on to become leader of the Conservative Group.

He said: “Yesterday I took the decision to leave the Conservative group on Fife Council and resign my membership of the Scottish Conservative Party. As you will all appreciate this was not an easy decision to make, however, it became clear that the Conservative group was no longer the right place for me. I will now sit as an independent councillor for Kirkcaldy North."

Cllr Leslie is the third member to quit the Tory group this month.

Darren Watt announced his departure last week, and now sits as an independent councillor for Cowdenbeath.

Cllr Watt said: “After much thought and careful reflection, it is with great sadness that I have made the difficult decision to resign my membership of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party with immediate effect.

“I will continue to represent the Cowdenbeath Ward as an Independent Councillor until the end of the current Council term in May 2027. Having taken into account my personal integrity, my professional responsibilities, and my wider commitments, I will not be making any further comment at this stage.”

At the beginning of July, Councillor Kathleen Leslie quit the Conservatives, stating she was “increasingly unable” to support the Tory Party’s positions on “everything from migration to foreign policy to welfare reform.”

The Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy councillor then joined Labour which she said was a “better fit” and will take her seat on the minority administration’s benches when meetings resume this month.

The Tory Group is now left with just three councillors - leader Dave Dempsey, Peter Gulline, and Conner Young.

Last September, Dunfermline councillor Gavin Ellis defected from the Tories to ReformUK. St Andrews councillor Robin Lawson also joined Nigel Farage’s party, but in a personal capacity. He sits as an independent, but allies with the far right group.