Bunbury councillor Becky Posnett has quit the Conservative group on Cheshire East Council and is now sitting as a non-grouped independent.

Cllr Posnett, who was elected to Cheshire East in 2023, was deputy whip of the Conservative group, so her role was to ensure members voted according to the group's policy or decisions.

Last month she voted in favour of plans for a devolution deal, when the Tories had been whipped to vote against the creation of a new Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority in 2026.

This led to her being sacked as deputy whip.

It is not known whether this played any part in Cllr Posnett's decision to quit the group, as she did not wish to comment on her reasons when contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

She did, however, stress there had been no falling out between herself and her former colleagues.

Conservative group leader Stewart Gardiner confirmed there was no ill-feeling but said he was 'flabbergasted' when Cllr Posnett chose to leave the group.

With regard to her voting for the devolution deal, he said: "I respected her position, but I didn't feel she could carry on in that job.

"How could she tell somebody else that they've got to follow a whip when she herself had not done it?

"When I sacked her, I believed she had understood my reasoning for relieving her of her duties and I was looking forward to carrying on working with her."

Cllr Posnett was elected to represent Bunbury in 2023.

She took over the seat from former councillor Sarah Pochin, who has since become the Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby.

The current make-up of Cheshire East Council, which is run by a joint Labour/Independent administration is Conservatives 34, Labour 28, Independent Group 13, Liberal Democrat 1; Reform UK 1; Independent Socialist 1; Independent non-grouped 3.

The Macclesfield Central seat is vacant following the resignation of Ashley Farrall.