The Reform UK councillors who have lost their seats, quit, defected or been suspended since the local elections
Here is the full list of Reform councillor departures so far
Reform UK has shed 22 councillors and counting in the two weeks since the local council elections on 7 May, triggering a series of costly by-elections.
While Reform won over 1,400 seats in the recent local council elections, Nigel Farage’s party is also shelling councillors to defections, suspensions and lost seats.
Stuart Prior, who was elected as a Reform UK councillor for Essex County Council and for Rochford District Council resigned on Monday 11 May, just days after winning these council seats.
Before the elections, it was revealed that Prior had shared racist posts on social media referring to white people as “the master race” and suggesting white people have “larger brains”.
Less than a week after being elected, Glenn Gibbins, a Reform councillor on Sunderland City Council was also suspended for posting racist comments online.
Gibbins said that the Nigerian population in Sunderland should be melted down to “fill in potholes”.
On the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme on 10 May, Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, was asked if he was happy for someone with these views to represent Reform.
Tice refused to condemn Gibbins’ comments and instead accused the media of “smearing” and “sneering” against Reform.
Ben Rowe, who was recently elected to Plymouth City Council has also been suspended for anti-Islam and antisemitic posts.
The posts were unearthed before the local elections, prompting Reform to say it was investigating the claims.
Another Reform councillor, Barry Martin, who said that the job of a councillor was “so dull and boring” resigned just a year after taking his seat.
Reform Party UK Exposed has published the full list of Reform councillor departures so far:
Lost seats on 7 May
- Mike Morris
- Clarence Mitchell
- Alan Cook
- Mark Shooter
- Kira Gabbert
Resigned
- Daniel Devaney
- Stuart Prior
- Jay Cooper
- Barry Martin
- Stephen Mousdell
- Andrew Harrison
- Kenny Hope
- Danielle Cavanagh
Defected
- Nick Farmer
- Ashley Monk
- Jo Monk
- Matthew Jones
Suspended
- Ben Rowe
- Glenn Gibbins
- Paul Heyward
- Nathaniel Menday
- Laura Newham
Dr David Bull, Reform’s former party chair has also been replaced by Lee Anderson, the Reform MP for Ashfield.
In a post announcing Bull’s departure on Facebook, Reform said it was “delighted” that Anderson has become the party’s new chair, adding: “David Bull has overseen unprecedented growth in his time as Chairman and will still remain heavily involved in the party”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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