Reform UK is losing a newly-elected councillor every three days on average, according to a new online tracker by campaign group Best For Britain. The tracker shows 35 newly-elected representatives have resigned or been suspended since the local elections in May.
The launch comes as a public rupture in the national party raises fresh questions about Nigel Farage's ability to lead a team that could run the country. The online tool has been released days after a leaked training video said the biggest threat the party faces is "people in it and itself".
Party 'would struggle to run a bath'
Launching the tracker, which will be updated with each new resignation or suspension, Best For Britain's chief executive Naomi Smith told The Mirror: "Whether they've resigned, been suspended, or were simply never up to the job, Reform UK have been shedding councillors ever since May.
"So much for the tidal wave about to break over British politics, this is a party that would struggle to run a bath. They're now losing a councillor every three days.
"Little wonder Reform UK themselves have warned activists their own officials are the 'biggest threat' the party faces. On this evidence, it's hard to disagree."
Councillor departures detailed
Names on Best For Britain's tracker include Alex Clarke, who stepped down from South Tyneside Council in June, saying he was mis-sold the role and thought he would only need to attend six meetings a year. He said: "I wanted to resign because I was sold [the councillor position] under false pretences. It was only after the election that the reality of what the position entailed made itself apparent, to which I was immediately overwhelmed and felt trapped."
Earlier this month, Plymouth councillor Carol Ney, who only joined Reform UK in April, returned to being an independent, saying she was "unable to support the direction of the party". Rhys Carr, who quit as a Reform UK councillor in Wakefield to sit as an independent in June, wrote on social media: "It has become clear that local issues are not prioritised, and that is simply not what I stood for when I was elected."
Suspensions and defections
The tracker, based on information in the public domain, shows five councillors are currently suspended having first been elected in May. These include Billy Burke, of Trafford Council, who was charged with possession of an offensive weapon in June. Also suspended is Sunderland City councillor Glenn Gibbins, 66, who has been charged with posting a grossly offensive comment about Nigerians on social media.
The list includes Robin Perry of Walsall Council, who was suspended over claims he made unfounded allegations against a fellow Reform councillor. He said he would appeal, and told the BBC: "Nationally, I agree with the policies. Locally, it's like Mussolini's government." Earlier this month councillor Dave Rowan was suspended in Kirklees after historic social media posts appeared to show him calling for ex-Commons Speaker John Bercow to be hanged. Birmingham's Rebecca Waters was kicked out after voting for a Lib Dem rather than a member of her own party in a leadership contest in July.
Best For Britain's online tracker states: "Reform UK wants power. But the party is haemorrhaging the people it recruits, with representatives resigning, being suspended or quitting Nigel Farage's outfit. Reform UK then mops up failed Conservatives to fill the gaps in its ranks. Much of this goes unreported - even though the pattern is the story." The site also lists 180 elected politicians and former MPs who have defected from the Tories to Reform - including the party's chief whip, Lee Anderson, who was Conservative deputy chairman under Rishi Sunak.
Leadership tensions
Tensions at the top of the party were thrown into the spotlight this week when commentator Tim Montgomerie was suspended over a string of critical comments about Mr Farage and home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf. It boiled over when he told a Spectator podcast: "There are a lot of people who are not on speaking terms with Zia, and it's nearly always Zia who initiates this. And it has to end. You cannot behave like a child in politics."
He questioned Mr Farage's ability to manage the party, posting on social media: "One of the biggest question marks over Nigel Farage's leadership is whether he brings Zia under control." Mr Montgomerie had previously questioned Mr Farage's response to questions about his undeclared £5million 'gift' from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. The Reform leader is being investigated by Parliament's standards commissioner over whether it broke rules for MPs.
In July Mr Montgomerie told the BBC: "People do not normally get a £5 million gift, we get a box of chocolates or a bottle of champagne, that's the sort of gift most people get." He went on: "I think he has to find better answers to these questions so far, and he will do, because the parliamentary process is now underway and he will have to be open".
On Thursday Mr Farage's number two, Richard Tice, denied that Reform risked being seen as thin-skinned, saying: "We're a fast-growing political party. There'll be a range of views, and sometimes we'll agree, and sometimes we'll have a debate and discussion. That's what you do in business. That's what you do in a boardroom. That's what you do when you're brainstorming. But what we've always said is that actually ... when you're having your discussions about those things, in the nicest possible way, as you would in a boardroom or in a brainstorming session in a company, you keep it behind closed doors, and then you go out and sell a great message. That's what we're doing."
It comes after a training video leaked to the Byline Times told activists: "The fact is, the biggest threat to Reform is people in it and itself. It’s not the Tories, it’s not Labour, the establishment is going to throw everything at us. The biggest chance of things going wrong is stuff like infighting, stuff like people just saying and doing stupid stuff. That’s our biggest risk." It went on to tell them: "Don’t drink and tweet. If there is any doubt, just don’t post it." The Mirror has approached Reform UK for comment about Best For Britain's tracker.
