Richard Bingley's Political Odyssey: From Tory to Reform via Labour and UKIP
Richard Bingley, a candidate who could lay claim to being Britain's most ideologically flexible politician, is branching out from the Conservatives, Labour, and UKIP to stand for Reform UK. The much-travelled councillor, who quit Plymouth after overseeing the controversial cutting down of 110 trees, is now contesting the Thurrock council election in May.
A Resurrection in Thurrock
If Bingley is elected to Thurrock council in Essex on May 7th, it will mark a significant resurrection for a figure whose political career has spanned multiple parties and controversies. This comeback comes three years after he resigned as leader of Plymouth City Council, a role he held during a tumultuous period.
Bingley's resignation in Plymouth followed a public outcry over the authority's decision to cut down 110 mature trees in the city center under the cover of darkness. The trees were fenced off, with security guards deployed, to make way for a £12 million regeneration scheme known as Armada Way. Despite vehement opposition from campaigners and national headlines, Bingley signed the order, later stepping down with a statement declaring he was "not a full-time politician."
A Political Chameleon's Journey
Bingley's political journey is a testament to ideological fluidity. He first emerged on Thurrock council in 1997, serving a term as a Conservative. By 2006, he returned to the same council, but in a different ward and representing Labour. During this period, politics was his full-time occupation, as he worked as Labour's press officer for the east of England and handled media duties for organizations like the trade union Unison and Campaign Against Arms Trade.
In 2014, Bingley executed an ideological about-turn, aligning with Nigel Farage and UKIP. He spoke at the party's annual conference and served as its spokesperson on terrorism by 2017, standing for parliament in both 2015 and 2017. As UKIP descended into infighting, Bingley vanished from the political scene before resurfacing in 2021 back with the Conservatives, this time as a councillor in Plymouth.
Leadership and Controversy in Plymouth
Within just nine months in Plymouth, amid factionalism and chaos in the Tory group, Bingley rose to become council leader. His tenure was short-lived, however, ending little more than a year later with the fateful tree-felling decision. In a twist of irony, Plymouth's Armada Way regeneration project is set to open soon, featuring more trees than were originally removed.
Former contemporaries describe Bingley as slightly elusive, often engrossed in side interests like podcasts and his work as a security and terrorism expert at Buckingham University. One former opponent in Plymouth recalled, "The phrase I recall being used about him was that he rose without trace. He became leader because he was the least-worst option. And then he was gone. It looks like Plymouth's loss will now be Thurrock's loss."
What Drives the Man?
Amid his many ideological and geographical shifts, Bingley remains an enigmatic figure. His statement upon resigning in Plymouth—"If others feel they can run our glorious ocean city better, then that's great with me. Over to you, I say"—hints at a pragmatic, if not detached, approach to politics. Whether this translates into success in Thurrock remains to be seen, but his candidacy underscores the evolving landscape of British local politics.
