Anti-Brexit party Renew gets first council seat in Wandsworth

A NEW anti-Brexit political party has obtained its first council seat after being joined by a former Conservative councillor.

James Cousins, a Wandsworth councillor who left the Conservatives three years ago, was sitting as an independent until he joined Renew because of its clear opposition to Brexit.

It is a breakthrough for the fledgling party, which was founded last year by Chris Coghlan, a former Foreign Office counter-terror official.

Renew now plans to field 20 candidates in Wandsworth, a key battleground, in May’s London elections.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Mr Cousins, a 44-year-old NHS manager, said: “I left the Conservatives because they represented backward-looking factions and interests rather than the ambitions of local residents. I’m proud to lead Renew locally and offer an alternative for people no longer represented by the hijacked traditional parties.”

Mr Coghlan, 37, said: “It has been hard work since I left the Foreign Office to do this and it is great that people are starting to believe in what we are trying to do. There was a 75 per cent Remain vote in Wandsworth. We are standing to give voters the opportunity to send a message to their MPs to oppose Brexit.”