Karen Walker, the leader of one of the two competing groups of independent councillors on Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Council, has left her group to become a purely independent councillor.
Ms Walker, representing Peasedown, was among two councillors who departed the council’s Independent Group last April to create the “Independents for B&NES” group. She has now chosen to disaffiliate from that group and serve as an unaligned independent member.
Speaking to SomersetLive, Ms Walker explained: “Following discussions with residents and community groups in my ward over the last couple of months, I’ve concluded that I can best represent them as an independent councillor unaligned from any group or party.
READ MORE: Somerset Model Reveals Online Fans Often Message Agency Staff Rather Than Actual Models
READ MORE: Patients evacuated after fire at Weston General Hospital
“Being purely independent gives me the complete freedom to always campaign for, and vote, for what matters most to my residents. It means I can always put them first.”
Reflecting on her service, Ms Walker said, “I’ve had the huge privilege to serve as an independent councillor in Peasedown St John since I was first elected in 2015. Being an independent means I can truly put the needs of my residents first, free from party politics and free from having to toe any group line or whip.”
Independent councillors often form groups within councils to secure funding and committee seats, which are allocated according to political proportionality. Uniquely, B&NES Council has two opposing groups of independent councillors.
Ms Walker and fellow Peasedown councillor Gavin Heathcote split from the original Independent Group in April 2025 to establish “Independents for B&NES” alongside independent Chris Warren, following his victory in the Saltford by-election. Nathan Hartley, a former councillor who managed public relations for Ms Walker and Mr Heathcote, had run Mr Warren’s campaign.
The original Independent Group declined to admit Mr Warren due to concerns over an account on X (formerly Twitter) that reportedly targeted the council, politicians, and minorities with offensive posts. Mr Warren has denied involvement with the account, stating that the tweets did not reflect his views, though he admitted finding some of them amusing.
Mr Warren and Mr Heathcote remain members of Independents for B&NES, with Mr Heathcote leading the two-person group. Ms Walker now appears independently in press releases regarding her work as a Peasedown councillor.
Currently, there are three councillors on the council who are unaligned and not affiliated with any political group. Grant Johnson (Paulton) resigned from Labour in January, citing frustration with the party’s “constant U-turns” under Keir Starmer, clarifying that his decision did not reflect on the council’s Labour group, which he described as a “great bunch of councillors.”
Bharat Pankhania (Combe Down) left the Liberal Democrats and stepped down as Bath’s ceremonial mayor after reposting a controversial message on X suggesting an arson attack on ambulances operated by a Jewish charity was an “Israeli false flag”. He has since apologised and described it as a mistake. He announced his intention to resign as a councillor earlier this month but remains in position for now.
The Independent Group currently has five members, including Alan Hale and Ann Morgan, who joined after departing the Conservative Group and Liberal Democrats, respectively. The council continues to be dominated by the Liberal Democrats, holding 38 seats. Labour serves as the official opposition with six councillors, followed by the Green Party with three, and the Conservatives with two.