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The Conservative group now has 19 councillors out of 39 on the authority.<\/p>\n
On Facebook, one of the councillors who left the Conservatives, James Gooding, said: “I felt that I could no longer agree on the direction this group was taking and no longer support decisions being made.”<\/p>\n
His wife and fellow councillor Julie Gooding, who also quit the Conservative group, said she “concluded my own values do not align with the party”.<\/p>\n
Councillor Jo McPherson says she will sit as a non-aligned Conservative on the council and will vote in the best interest of her residents.<\/p>\n
Rochford will be “on a knife edge” in May\u2019s local elections, according to one Essex Conservative.<\/p>\n
The authority has had a majority Conservative administration for 20 years.<\/p>\n
Tuesday night\u2019s budget brought by the Conservatives only passed after Liberal Democrat councillor Jim Cripps voted in favour.<\/p>\n
But his party colleague James Newport said the Liberal Democrats have serious concerns over the budget, including an \u00a34.2m asset delivery programme to redevelop council property to be sold off which he says has no business plan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n