Councillors James Giles, Yvonne Tracey, and Jamal Chohan have banded together to create the Opposition Group, replacing the Conservatives as the second-biggest party in Kingston Council.
Cllr Giles announced the new party, made up of independents, on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.
The announcement followed a controversy involving Giles and Chohan over the publication of an open letter demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
The balance between the Conservatives and Independents shifted last week when Cllr Chohan left the Conservatives after the whip was removed.
The new Opposition Group was described as a coalition by Cllr Chohan, who said that the Conservatives had attempted to “silence” his support for a ceasefire.
“After I became independent, there was two Conservative and two [Independents]. So, I had to make a decision for the best interest of RBK residents and join a coalition opposition to ensure that the Lib Dems have proper accountability,” said Cllr Chohan.
The council is now made up of 43 Liberal Democrats, three Independents and two Conservatives.
The Courier has reached out to the head of the Kingston Liberal Democrats, Cllr Andreas Kirsch, for comment.
Political Editor and Reporter for the Kingston Courier
