County Councillor Nick Housden Suspended by Party Following Allegations

A county councillor has been suspended by his political party following the emergence of allegations against him. The nature of these allegations against Conservative Nick Housden, who serves Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, remains undisclosed. Mr. Housden is reportedly planning a move to the Netherlands. Mr. Housden, who previously served as a Stroud District Councillor, has also stepped down from his roles as chairman and manager of the Carlton Club, a Conservative establishment located in Stroud. A party spokesperson confirmed the suspension of Mr. Housden. Attempts have been made to contact Mr. Housden for his comments. A Conservative spokesperson stated, “The Conservative Group on Gloucestershire County Council has been made aware of allegations made against Councillor Nick Housden. As a result, we have decided to suspend Cllr Nick Housden until further notice. We will not be making any further comments at this time.” The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that a spokesperson for the Carlton Club also verified Mr. Housden’s resignation as director, a position he took up in March 2023. The Carlton Club spokesperson added, “The Carlton club committee have accepted the resignation of Chairman Nick Housden with immediate effect. The club will move forward and are looking forward to continuing and welcoming members.” The composition of Gloucestershire County Council includes 25 Conservatives, 16 Liberal Democrats, five Greens, five Labour councillors, one Independent Conservative, and Councillor Housden. Despite the Conservatives operating as a minority administration, it is considered improbable that they will relinquish control of the authority prior to the upcoming elections in May. Alastair Chambers, an Independent Conservative, typically votes with the Tory group, and the chairman, a Conservative, possesses the ability to cast a deciding vote in the event of a tie.