Charles Roberts, once a rising Conservative figure in Cambridgeshire local government, has broken with the party after more than a decade of service, declaring that he can no longer support the Conservatives and sees Nigel Farage’s Reform UK as the party best placed to deliver on issues such as immigration and national sovereignty.
Roberts, a former leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council and former Deputy Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, has used national media platforms to explain why he no longer considers himself a Conservative.
Writing in The Critic magazine, he said he had grown up believing the party stood for “personal responsibility, duty, support for enterprise, low taxes, patriotism and firm border control.”
“I entered public life as a Conservative because I believed it did,” he wrote. “Yet here I am today, no longer a member of the Conservative Party — and if there were an election tomorrow, I could not vote for it. That is no small thing for me personally, but I am far from alone. Millions feel the same way. The truth is not that we abandoned the Conservative Party; it abandoned us.”
Roberts identified immigration as the key issue behind his break, accusing successive governments of failing to enforce the law or deter illegal crossings. He criticised both Conservative and Labour politicians for making promises they did not deliver, singling out the abandoned Rwanda deportation policy as an example of “bravado without delivery.”
By contrast, he praised Nigel Farage’s Reform UK for putting forward what he called “the most radical yet” plan to control immigration. “Reform’s package has a better chance of success than anything we have seen for a decade because it is rooted in deterrence and backed by political will,” he wrote. “No one doubts the determination of Nigel Farage to stop the boats.”
Political Outlook
Roberts has not formally announced any candidacy with Reform UK, but his writing makes clear that he now aligns more closely with the party’s platform than with the Conservatives. He argues that failure to control borders undermines public trust across all areas of government, including the economy, tax, housing, and health.
“The British public is fair-minded,” he wrote. “They will support firm action against those who break our laws by entering the country illegally, provided it is even-handed and effective. What they will not accept is more theatre without outcomes, or governments they cannot trust.”
Roberts’ shift mirrors that of many former Conservative voters who backed Brexit and Boris Johnson in 2019 but now feel let down. His departure is notable because of his senior local government record: councillor, council leader, Deputy Mayor, and adviser within the Combined Authority.
Roberts’ political career began in 2011, when he was elected Conservative councillor for Stretham ward on East Cambridgeshire District Council. The rural ward, near Ely, returned two Conservatives that year, with Roberts polling 781 votes and fellow candidate Bill Hunt 917.
Over the following years Roberts became one of the most prominent figures in local Conservative politics, rising to deputy leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council in 2014 and leader three years later. His work locally included promoting community land trusts to deliver affordable housing, overseeing council-run services, and freezing council tax.
Deputy Mayor of the Combined Authority
Roberts’ influence extended beyond East Cambridgeshire in 2017 when he was appointed statutory Deputy Mayor of the newly formed Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).
He was chosen by James Palmer, then Conservative Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and himself a former leader of East Cambridgeshire. Roberts also served as portfolio holder for transport.
Controversy Over Appointments
In 2019, Roberts became the subject of criticism when Palmer appointed him to a part-time role as a strategic adviser to the Combined Authority, worth £54,000 a year. The move came shortly after Roberts stepped down as both East Cambridgeshire Council leader and Deputy Mayor of the CPCA.
The appointment was condemned by opposition leaders. Lewis Herbert, Labour leader of Cambridge City Council, resigned from his CPCA role, saying the decision “smacked of cronyism.” Bridget Smith, Liberal Democrat leader of South Cambridgeshire, wrote to then-Communities Secretary James Brokenshire expressing concern about the close personal and political relationship between Palmer and Roberts.
Palmer defended the appointment, insisting it had been approved by the Combined Authority’s employment and scrutiny committees. “Charles Roberts will be challenged to help me in meeting the ambitious timescales we have for the delivery of key combined authority projects, like the University of Peterborough, A47 dualling, and CAM Metro,” he said.
Stepping Down from Local Politics
In May 2019 Roberts announced that he would not stand again for East Cambridgeshire District Council leader. He praised the authority’s record of freezing council tax, opening Ely’s Hive leisure centre, and delivering services through its trading arm.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to lead this council and be part of some monumental moments for the organisation,” Roberts said at the time. “We are a can-do council that not only delivers for our residents but does it whilst balancing the books.”
John Hill, the council’s chief executive, described him as “an outstanding leader who has championed this council since his election in 2011.”
In 2021 Palmer lost to Labour’s Nik Johnson and de facto his right hand man Roberts left with him.
Later Work with Eastern Powerhouse
Although no longer in elected office, Roberts continued to work with Palmer in promoting regional development. In 2022, the two co-led the launch of “Eastern Powerhouse,” a business and civic initiative intended to boost investment across the East of England.
Palmer chaired the group, while Roberts was head of development. They worked with the Westminster-based think tank ResPublica, hosting a London launch attended by MPs including Matt Hancock.
The initiative sought to replicate models such as the “Northern Powerhouse” and “Midlands Engine,” presenting the East as a single economic region covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Lincolnshire, and North Essex.
Roberts later stepped away from the project, and in 2023 lost his seat on Stretham parish council. He remains chair of the Stretham and Wilburton Community Land Trust and runs a consultancy practice advising businesses.
The trust credits him with introducing the Community Land Trust Planning Policy in East Cambridgeshire, which has been copied elsewhere as a model for delivering affordable housing through community control.
Conclusion
From his election as a Conservative councillor in 2011, to his leadership of East Cambridgeshire District Council, to his role as Deputy Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Charles Roberts was for years a loyal figure within Conservative politics in the region.
Now, more than a decade on, he has turned away from the party, saying he no longer believes it represents the values he once shared. His embrace of Reform UK’s immigration stance marks a sharp shift, reflecting broader discontent among grassroots Conservatives.
Whether Roberts takes on a formal role with Reform remains to be seen. But his political journey highlights the challenges the Conservative Party faces in holding onto supporters who once formed the backbone of its local government success.
