IT’S almost six months since the Andover Alliance made a splash at the town and borough elections, winning seven seats on Test Valley Borough Council and 15 of 16 seats on Andover town council.

Since then the group has experienced its fair share of drama. Members have quit, others have been expelled, and the group has faced criticism from the leader of the borough council who last week urged the party to put “personal differences aside” and end what he termed the “shenanigans of the Andover Alliance”.

The party has, however, been busy working to help the town council “make massive strides forward”, its leader say.

Earlier this month, town mayor Councillor Richard Rowles responded to criticism from members of the newly formed Andover Independent Group, pointing to the Andover Alliance’s achievements in recent months.

He said: “The bottom line is that the Andover Alliance were elected for a period of four years with a massive mandate by the people of Andover to make the town council work when it had previously been floundering.

“The members of The Andover Alliance have spent the last five months in office putting forward motions to help the Andover Town Council make massive strides forward.”

Cllr Rowles went on to list a “range of motions which have been adopted” that the party has put forward, sometimes with the support of former town councillor Andy Fitchet.

That list included the soon-to-be-announced Honorary Freedom of Andover, the creation of a carbon neutral council and a revamp of the authority’s grants system,

An extraordinary town council meeting has also been called for Monday, October 28. There councillors will discuss grant applications for “Makaton Friendly Andover” and “Training Youth Workers” - two projects listed on the group’s manifesto.

On the night of the election back in May, Cllr Rowles told the Advertiser that the creation of a youth service and making Andover Makaton friendly were his two key priorities.

However, questions have been raised over the suitability of that manifesto and its promises, including from ex-party member Councillor Lauren Banville.

Following her resignation from the Andover Alliance last week, Cllr Banville said: “I feel the Andover Alliance is a local party with a national political attitude, and although they are meeting manifesto promises I don’t believe that those parts of the manifesto are what the residents and town needs right now.

“The leader is adamant on manifesto delivery which I believe they will achieve. However, I do not feel that at this point in time that hard politics should be factored into a small town council especially given the uncertainty of Brexit, our government and economy.”