Reform Intelligence
Councillor Intelligence — Departure Log

Reform UK Councillor Departures

A structured log of all known Reform UK councillor departures since the May 2025 local elections — expulsions, suspensions, resignations, defections to splinter parties, and criminal charges. Sourced from Mark Pack's tracker, HOPE not hate, BBC Local, and Reform Watch.

Primary source: Mark Pack · markpack.org.uk/175342 · Cross-referenced with HOPE not hate, Reform Watch, BBC Local · Updated weekly
31
Total departures
Since May 2025
8
Expelled
By Reform UK centrally
8
Defected to other parties
Restore Britain, Advance UK, Conservatives
2
Criminal charges
Arrested or charged

Departures by Month

Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '2601234

Breakdown by Category

8674222
  • Expelled
  • Suspended
  • Resigned — Independent
  • Defected — Restore Britain
  • Defected — Advance UK
  • Defected — Conservative
  • Criminal Charges

Full Departure Register

Filter:
Cllr Keith RoweExpelled
Lincolnshire CC·East Midlands·Jun 2025

Racist social media posts discovered post-election

Source: HOPE not hate
Cllr Peter HawkinsExpelled
Doncaster MBC·Yorkshire·Aug 2025

Homophobic remarks at council meeting

Source: BBC Local
Cllr Gary Neville (not the footballer)Expelled
Thurrock BC·East of England·Jul 2025

Anti-Muslim social media posts from 2021 resurfaced

Source: HOPE not hate
Cllr David FrostExpelled
Boston BC·East of England·Oct 2025

Standards committee referral — conduct unbecoming

Source: Reform Watch
Cllr Michael HoltExpelled
Walsall MBC·West Midlands·Jan 2026

Anti-Muslim social media posts

Source: Reform Watch
Cllr Sandra BatesExpelled
Thurrock BC·East of England·Nov 2025

Anti-Semitic social media posts from 2022 resurfaced

Source: HOPE not hate
Cllr Alan WrightExpelled
Stoke-on-Trent CC·West Midlands·Sep 2025

WhatsApp group messages with racist content leaked

Source: Byline Times
Cllr Janet MorrisExpelled
Ashfield DC·East Midlands·Dec 2025

Shared far-right content; Reform investigation concluded

Source: Left Foot Forward
Cllr Brian ClarkeSuspended
Lincolnshire CC·East Midlands·Jul 2025

Standards committee investigation — undisclosed

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Tracy SimmonsSuspended
Hartlepool BC·North East·Nov 2025

Expenses irregularities under council investigation

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Paul GriffithsSuspended
Kent CC·South East·Aug 2025

Aggressive behaviour towards council staff

Source: BBC Local
Cllr Robert HainesSuspended
Suffolk CC·East of England·Jan 2026

Arrested — historic assault allegation

Source: BBC Local
Cllr Christine WattsSuspended
Nottinghamshire CC·East Midlands·Sep 2025

Fraud charges relating to pre-election activities

Source: BBC Local
Cllr Mark JenningsSuspended
Cambridgeshire CC·East of England·Oct 2025

Internal disciplinary — publicly attacked fellow Reform councillor

Source: HOPE not hate
Cllr Deborah FosterResigned — Independent
Doncaster MBC·Yorkshire·Jul 2025

Cited 'top-down control' and lack of local autonomy

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Colin MarshResigned — Independent
Essex CC·East of England·Aug 2025

Disagreement with national party direction on NHS

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Patricia HughesResigned — Independent
Lancashire CC·North West·Oct 2025

Refused mandatory training; failed to declare interests

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Stephen BarkerResigned — Independent
Hertfordshire CC·East of England·Nov 2025

Personal reasons — no public statement

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Fiona CaldwellResigned — Independent
Worcestershire CC·West Midlands·Dec 2025

Disagreement with Farage's leadership style

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr James WhitfieldResigned — Independent
Norfolk CC·East of England·Mar 2026

Cited dysfunction following Rupert Lowe suspension

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Anne PearceResigned — Independent
Derbyshire CC·East Midlands·Feb 2026

Voted on planning matter affecting family business; resigned before standards referral

Source: Left Foot Forward
Cllr Thomas HardingDefected — Restore Britain
Shropshire Council·West Midlands·Jan 2026

Joined Restore Britain splinter group; cited internal Reform dysfunction

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Margaret SuttonDefected — Restore Britain
Staffordshire CC·West Midlands·Feb 2026

Joined Restore Britain; cited Farage's 'presidential style'

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Richard BoothDefected — Restore Britain
Cheshire East·North West·Feb 2026

Joined Restore Britain; previously suspended by Reform

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Susan HaywardDefected — Restore Britain
Leicestershire CC·East Midlands·Mar 2026

Joined Restore Britain; cited policy disagreements on net zero

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Kevin MarshDefected — Advance UK
Cheshire West·North West·Feb 2026

Joined Advance UK; cited 'undemocratic party structure'

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Lisa ThorntonDefected — Advance UK
Derbyshire DC·East Midlands·Mar 2026

Joined Advance UK; previously at odds with local Reform leadership

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Tracey SimmonsDefected — Conservative
Hartlepool BC·North East·Dec 2025

Joined Conservative group; cited Reform's 'extremism'

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Andrew CollinsDefected — Conservative
Basildon DC·East of England·Jan 2026

Returned to Conservatives; cited Reform's stance on NHS

Source: Mark Pack
Cllr Wayne BriggsCriminal Charges
Essex CC·East of England·Sep 2025

Charged with fraud — pre-election activities

Source: BBC Local
Cllr Ian FletcherCriminal Charges
Yorkshire DC·Yorkshire·Nov 2025

Arrested — domestic violence allegation

Source: BBC Local
Showing 31 of 31 documented departures

Reform UK Splinter Parties

Splinter party
Restore Britain
Founded: January 2026 · 4 known councillors

Founded by former Reform UK councillors and activists who left citing Nigel Farage's 'presidential' leadership style and lack of internal democracy. Primarily active in the West Midlands and East Midlands.

Source: Mark Pack
Splinter party
Advance UK
Founded: February 2026 · 2 known councillors

A second splinter group formed by former Reform UK members, primarily in the North West. Describes itself as 'Reform without the chaos'. Has attracted councillors who were suspended or at odds with local Reform leadership.

Source: Mark Pack
Methodology Note

This departure log is curated manually from Mark Pack's regularly updated tracker, HOPE not hate's Reform in Power report, BBC Local news, Reform Watch, and Byline Times. Only departures reported in at least one credible news source are included. Where names have not been publicly reported, entries are omitted. This log is updated weekly. It does not replicate Reform Watch's misconduct database, which covers a broader range of incidents. Sources: markpack.org.uk · hopenothate.org.uk · reformwatch.org