Reform Intelligence
Module 05 — Council Intelligence

Reform UK at Local Level

Reform UK's presence across English and Welsh councils following the May 2025 local elections. Seat data sourced from Open Council Data UK. Incident data cross-referenced with Reform Watch.

Source: Open Council Data UK · opencouncildata.co.uk · Updated weekly
960
Council seats held
As of March 2026
75
Councils with Reform members
England & Wales
3
Councils with majority
Outright control
8
Documented incidents
Suspensions, defections, resignations

Council Seats by Region

050100150200East of EnglandEast MidlandsSouth EastYorkshireWest MidlandsNorth WestSouth WestNorth EastLondonWales
Source: Open Council Data UK · opencouncildata.co.uk

Notable Councils

CouncilRegionReform SeatsTotal Seats% ReformStatusNotes
Lincolnshire County Council
East Midlands3170
44%
Largest groupReform became largest single party in May 2025
Thurrock Council
East of England2849
57%
MajorityReform won outright majority in May 2025
Ashfield District Council
East Midlands2435
69%
MajorityLee Anderson's constituency council
Boston Borough Council
East of England1932
59%
MajorityRichard Tice's constituency council
Clacton District
East of England1730
57%
MajorityNigel Farage's constituency area
Doncaster Metropolitan
Yorkshire2255
40%
Largest groupSignificant gains from Labour in 2025
Stoke-on-Trent City
West Midlands1844
41%
Largest groupTraditional Labour heartland
Hartlepool Borough
North East1633
48%
Largest groupFormer Red Wall area
Walsall Metropolitan
West Midlands1460
23%
Opposition
Basildon District
East of England1342
31%
OppositionJames McMurdock's constituency area

Documented Councillor Incidents

Suspensions, resignations and defections since May 2025. For the full incident database including misconduct details, see Reform Watch.

Suspended
Cllr Keith RoweLincolnshire
Jun 2025

Social media posts — racist content

Source: Reform Watch
Resigned
Cllr Sandra BatesThurrock
Jul 2025

Resigned from Reform, citing party management

Source: Reform Watch
Suspended
Cllr Peter HawkinsDoncaster
Aug 2025

Homophobic remarks at council meeting

Source: Reform Watch
Defected
Cllr Janet MorrisAshfield
Sep 2025

Joined independent group citing 'top-down control'

Source: Reform Watch
Suspended
Cllr David FrostBoston
Oct 2025

Standards committee investigation — conduct

Source: Reform Watch
Resigned
Cllr Alan WrightStoke-on-Trent
Nov 2025

Personal reasons — no statement

Source: Reform Watch
Defected
Cllr Tracey SimmonsHartlepool
Dec 2025

Joined Conservative group

Source: Reform Watch
Suspended
Cllr Michael HoltWalsall
Jan 2026

Anti-Muslim social media posts

Source: Reform Watch

Note: This dashboard tracks structural data (seats, defections, resignations). For the comprehensive misconduct database including racism, hate speech, and ethics violations, see Reform Watch Officials Tracker — which covers 1,000+ Reform officials.

Related Intelligence Modules

Deeper Councillor Analysis

Methodology Note

Council seat data is sourced from Open Council Data UK, which aggregates data from local council websites and the Electoral Commission. Figures represent seats held as of the most recent available update. Incident data is cross-referenced from Reform Watch and local news sources. This dashboard does not replicate Reform Watch's misconduct database. Sources: opencouncildata.co.uk · reformwatch.org