Councillor Lewis Quigg, the former leader of Oldham Reform, has resigned from the party with immediate effect mid-investigation, while another elected member has been suspended in what is understood to be an unrelated case.
On October 22, Reform Oldham announced that Coun Quigg had resigned from the party. The Royton North councillor had led Oldham’s second largest party until he was replaced by Mark Wilkinson in September.
Mr Wilkinson then stood down as both leader of the group and Failsworth West councillor, triggering a by-election. Reform Oldham is now led by Waterhead Coun Paul Taylor.
Suspension and Resignation Details
The Manchester Evening News can also reveal that St James Coun Gary Tarbuck has been suspended from the party. The two cases are understood to not be linked.
When approached for comment, a Reform UK spokesman said: “Coun Tarbuck was suspended from Reform UK pending investigation. Coun Quigg resigned from the Reform group mid-investigation.”
Coun Quigg or Coun Tarbuck have both been approached for comment but no response was received at the time of publication. Coun Quigg is currently listed as an independent on Oldham council’s website.
Party Statement and Impact
Earlier today, the Oldham branch of Reform put out a statement on their Facebook page, which said: “The Oldham Reform Group can confirm that Councillor Lewis Quigg has resigned from the Reform Group with immediate effect.
“This decision follows a difference of perspective regarding internal policy matters.”
Coun Quigg’s resignation from Reform UK and Coun Tarbuck’s suspension now temporarily leaves the party with only 13 councillors in the council chamber. However, they are still the second largest group in the borough behind Labour.
Upcoming By-Election
Next month, Reform will be hoping to keep hold of the Failsworth West seat vacated by Mr Wilkinson. The party has previously won all three seats in the ward and won nearly 56pc of the vote in 2026.
The candidates running in the election are as follows:
- Chris Baddeley – Reform UK
- Stephen Eric Davenport – The Conservative Party
- Pete Davis – Labour and Co-Operative Party
- Rob Gunn – Restore Britain
- Andrew Kevin Jones – Green Party
- Lynne Christine Thompson – Liberal Democrats
Despite Reform winning a majority of seats in the last election across Oldham, they did not secure a majority within the council chamber. Oldham council is currently without a leader though an interim arrangement is currently in place.
