Reform UK loses over 50 newly elected councillors within five months
Reform UK has seen 51 of its councillors elected in May either quit, be expelled or suspended in just over five months, raising doubts about Nigel Farage’s leadership.
A Best For Britain-maintained tracker reports that Reform UK has shed 51 councillors who were elected in May, either resigning, defecting or being suspended, roughly one departure every three days. The departures include Solihull’s Eleonora Gough, who criticised the party’s divisive conduct, three Plymouth councillors—two joining Restore Britain and one becoming independent—and the expulsion of Newcastle’s Daniel Astley after ties to the far-right Homeland Party emerged.
Sunderland City councillor Glenn Gibbins was suspended again after legal proceedings over an offensive social-media post. Reform UK entered May with 1,451 councillors and control of 14 English councils, making the recent losses a significant blow to Nigel Farage’s leadership credibility. Best For Britain’s director of digital, Julia Meadon, described the pattern as “shambolic”. Reform UK has not responded to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The rapid loss of elected officials threatens Reform UK’s ability to govern locally and undermines confidence in Nigel Farage’s leadership.
How this story developed
- Sep 3 Richard Tice condemns Chinese imports while Reform UK merch made in China is on sale
- Sep 4 National Rally leader Jordan Bardella delivered an English speech at Reform UK’s gathering, emphasizing tighter ties with the British party and joint immigration control.
- Sep 4 Reform UK invited Bardella to speak at its Birmingham conference.
- Sep 6 West Midlands Police have issued a call for the protester to come forward to assist their inquiry.
- Sep 7 The memorandum was signed, moving the idea from conference discussion to a formal agreement.
- Sep 18 Liberal Democrat members say the party has stalled since its 2024 election surge and aim to adopt a more aggressive tone at this weekend’s conference.
- Sep 22 YouGov's latest seat-by-seat model indicates Reform UK would secure just 123 seats if a general election were called today, a sharp drop from a similar poll a year ago. Labour is forecast to lead with 241 seats, followed by the Conservatives at 130, while the Liberal Democrats hold steady at 71. The results point to the first hung parliament since the 2010 coalition. Reform also appears to be losing its high-profile MPs Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman back to the Conservatives. The party's decline follows recent scandals involving alleged off-the-books polling and the suspension of aides Dan Jukes and James Orr, prompting a Met Police investigation.
- Sep 25 A new YouGov poll shows Reform UK level with the Conservatives and behind Labour.
- Sep 27 The party has moved from internal frustration to publicly unveiling a health‑and‑economy platform at its conference.
- Sep 28 Lee Anderson announced a “whip round” to raise funds for the woman struck with a walking stick.
- Sep 30 The new “tough love” policy requires unemployed young people who can work to attend job centres every day and take part in work experience, training or community projects to qualify for a “Get to Work allowance”. After six months without employment, the allowance falls to a subsistence level at 70 % of the previous claim, and those who refuse to join receive no support. Critics, including Amnesty International and the Trussell Trust, argue the measures ignore the difficulties faced by impoverished youth and repeat austerity-era harms. The proposal arrives ahead of the Conservative conference in Birmingham, where youth unemployment remains a prominent issue. A review by former Labour minister Alan Milburn is due later this year.
- Oct 4 The proposal now includes a subsistence allowance at 70 % of the standard Universal Credit rate after six months.
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