Four members of Stoke-on-Trent City Council have crossed the floor to join the Conservatives, making them the largest party in the chamber with 19 councillors, but leaving them short of an overall majority.
Three of the councillors, Lesley Adams, Shaun Bennett and Janine Bridges, were previously members of the City Independent group. The fourth, Ally Simcock has crossed from Labour.
Members crossing the floor is not an uncommon event in local government, over the years I have known some elected members who moved party so often they needed a post-it nots on their desk to remind them who they were voting with this week.
Out of the current group two of the former Independents are young enough to have ambitions beyond Stoke-on-Trent. In which case it makes sense to hitch their fortunes to the party that is in the ascendant.
What is more interesting is the 'defection' of Ally Simcock from Labour, a party she has only represented on the council since May 2019. Speaking to the Sentinel she echoes here other new colleagues, all of whom sing a variation on the theme of wanting to be 'part of the team that is getting things done'.
Fair point, there are serious questions to be asked about the direction of travel, but there is no denying that the Tories have been busy. On their watch the Smithfield development has started to look like a miniature Manhattan on the outskirts of Hanley, whether the returns on this and other dips into property speculation pay off in the long term remains to be seen.
Ms Simcock goes on to cite a 'divided Labour Party' as another reason for her departure, suggesting that replacing Jeremy Corbyn with the more moderate Keir Stamer hasn't ended the party's woes.
The real concern though for Labour locally is the loss of a member with, potentially, a long and productive local government career ahead of her. This points to the parlous state of the party in what was once amongst the most secure of its strongholds.
The problems within the Labour Party in Stoke are long standing and include a lacklustre leadership, an ageing active membership and a lack of political direction. Put simply there are too many middle aged and decidedly mediocre people in leadership roles holding back anyone with talent or drive from progressing.
Once upon a time that wouldn't have mattered, joining a political party was like getting married, it was a relationship that lasted for a lifetime. Things aren't that way now, if the old guard insist on doing the things they've always done in the way they've always been done, then the younger people behind them aren't disposed to wait quietly in line. They pack up their loyalties and move on to where the grass is greener and the opportunities better.
If they are ever to get out of their current rut and be an effective opposition, let alone regain control of the council, then Labour are going to have to take a long hard look at their own benches. If they see, and they will, too many hacks holding on to what is a very comfortable berth whilst the handful of eager younger members grind their teeth in frustration, then it is time to do some judicious pruning.
If they don't, and it is hard to imagine the current moribund leadership having the guts, then expect more departures between now and the next election.
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