Another humiliating defection for Tory Lancashire County Council, as Councillor Tony Jones announced his resignation from the Tory majority group –the SECOND to do so in the space of a month– over gross council mismanagement.

The Tories gained the council back in May, however Council Leader Geoff Driver –who is under police investigation for “financial irregularities”– has been accused of stonewalling council management. Chief Exec Jo Turton told the BBC that she and her team “had been requested by Mr Driver not to attend briefings where he was present.”

BREAKING: Cllr Tony Jones resigns from @LancashireCC Tory group, saying he disagrees with the way the group are 'currently operating'. pic.twitter.com/OUZP6oY0CF — Mike Stevens (@_Mike_Stevens_) August 9, 2017

The council has been further rocked over the past month Driver’s plans to install a glut of unnecessary management posts –which would have involved firing Turton and her team for no apparent cost benefit– which Labour Leader, Cllr Azhar Ali, described as “a vendetta and witch hunt.”

Tony Jones becomes 2nd Tory to resign from the Conservative Group at LCC in as many months. Some Tories standing up to Geoff and his bullies pic.twitter.com/l43uSBblqB — LCC Labour Group (@LabourLancs) August 9, 2017

This comes only weeks after fellow Tory councillor, Paul Greenall, also resigned from Lancashire County Council. Greenall happened to mention that he had been intimidated by other Tory councillors “trying to stop me from speaking…even in the gents”…

To lose one councillor may be considered unfortunate, to lose two in so many weeks looks careless… https://t.co/4PawDxeeaV — Cat Smith (@CatSmithMP) August 9, 2017

Driver’s plans have since been abandoned, but that hasn’t stopped calls for his resignation, and some councillors appealing to Downing Street to intervene to save them from the “chaos.”

This is just getting embarrassing now