James McMurdock has said he will not return to Reform UK after resigning the whip over questions related to Covid loans, becoming the second MP to leave the party since the general election last year.
The MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock “removed the party whip from himself” last week, pending the outcome of an investigation relating to allegations around “business propriety during the pandemic”.
It comes after an investigation by The Sunday Times alleged two businesses connected to Mr McMurdock took out Covid-19 loans totalling £70,000 during the pandemic, one of which had no employees.
Further to my statement tweeted on 5th July 2025. I have now had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field. In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my…
— James McMurdock MP (@JMcMurdockMP) July 8, 2025
On Tuesday, the MP said he “had a chance to take specialist legal advice from an expert in the relevant field” since the loans came to light.
Writing on social media site X (Twitter), he added: “In light of that advice, which is privileged and which I choose to keep private at this time, I have decided to continue my parliamentary career as an independent MP where I can focus 100 per cent on the interests of my constituents.”
Mr McMurdock is the second Reform MP to leave the party following the departure of Rupert Lowe earlier this year, who now also sits as an independent.
Mr Lowe was expelled from Reform in March amid allegations of bullying, which he has strongly denied.
According to Companies House, Mr McMurdock is listed as the current director of Gym Live Health and Fitness Limited, and a former director of J A M Financial Limited, a position he resigned in 2021.
Both firms are shown to have overdue accounts and confirmation statements, and both have an “active proposal to strike off”.
Over the weekend, Mr McMurdock insisted that “all my business dealings had always been conducted fully within the law and in compliance with all regulations and that appropriately qualified professionals had reviewed all activity confirming the same”.
He said he had asked for the Reform whip to be suspended temporarily as a “precautionary measure”.
Speaking to Reform councillors on Monday morning, Nigel Farage said that “how we behave matters”, adding that he “can’t apologise” for the 2024 election vetting process because he was not involved in it.
“I came in, I inherited this situation where hundreds of candidates who stood in the last general election had not gone through a vetting process”, he said, seeking to distance himself from the process.
“I said on 5 July, the day after the election last year, that we would now professionalise.
“We put 1,630 candidates into the field on 1 May, more than any other party with very, very few rows or arguments – so the vetting process worked for this year, I can’t apologise for what happened before.”
The Reform leader did not answer when asked whether the allegations faced by Mr McMurdock were an embarrassment for his party.
“Let’s find out the truth, I know as much about this right now as you do,” said Mr Farage.
Labour called on Nigel Farage to “come clean with the public” about what the party knew and when about Mr McMurdock’s alleged business dealings.
Party chair Ellie Reeves said: “After these serious allegations surfaced, Nigel Farage sat on his hands. He took no action against James McMurdock and instead outsourced the problem – that’s not leadership.”
She said Mr McMurdock’s account of his own affairs “does not stack up” and called for clarity from the party.
Ms Reeves added: “Farage’s Reform has proven once again that they simply cannot uphold the high standards expected in public life.”
Mr Farage, addressing Reform UK Kent County Council councillors on the steps inside County Hall, also said: “Behaving with integrity is a responsibility upon all of you, although that doesn’t mean you all have to become stuffed shirts or anything like that.
“You are holders of public office you are responsible and how we behave matters.”
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