Stuart Prior, a newly elected Reform UK councillor for Essex County Council, has resigned days after taking office following allegations of offensive social media posts. The posts, identified by the anti-extremism group Hope not Hate, reportedly included celebrating the rape of a Sikh woman, calling white people the “master race,” and referring to Muslims as “rats.”
Prior was elected last Thursday with 2,404 votes, the highest in his ward, and also won a seat on Rochford District Council. A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed his resignation for personal reasons and said his party membership had been revoked. Prior has denied making the comments, telling the Mirror: “That’s not what I would have put down” and “this isn’t me.”
The resignation comes amid wider scrutiny of newly elected Reform councillors accused of racist, antisemitic, or anti-Muslim remarks. Other cases include Derek Bullock in Bolton, who allegedly used a racial slur after the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, and Jay Leslie Cooper in Sefton, who reportedly described the Holocaust as a hoax. Both have had their party membership revoked or are under investigation.
Hope not Hate’s dossier also highlights Nathaniel Menday in Sheffield, who allegedly called himself an ethno-nationalist and praised Nazi-era architecture, and Ben Rowe in Plymouth, whose comments are under review. The Muslim Council of Britain has warned that such rhetoric is becoming normalised in British politics.
