- Reform UK councillor Stuart Prior resigned from his newly won seats on Essex County Council and Rochford District Council just days after the local elections, following allegations of racist social media posts made six months prior, which he claimed not to recall.
- Prior's resignation is part of a wider trend, as 17 Reform UK councillors have vacated their seats since May last year, with 12 of these cases (70 per cent) attributed to vetting or conduct issues, lack of engagement, or administrative errors.
- These resignations are imposing a significant financial burden on local taxpayers, with 11 former Reform councillors already costing an estimated £287,000 in by-election costs, and Mr Prior's two resignations adding a further £35,000, bringing the total to £322,000.
- Other instances include Andrew Kilburn, who was ineligible to stand, and Wayne Titley and Lynn Dean, who resigned or were suspended due to controversial social media posts, leading to criticism from Liberal Democrats and Open Britain regarding Reform UK's vetting processes.
- Reform UK has dismissed the analysis as “misleading” and “selective”, arguing that Labour and Conservative resignations have collectively cost taxpayers at least £1.3 million in local by-election costs over the same period, given their significantly larger number of councillors.
IN FULL
Another Reform candidate resigns after vetting failure – and councils are forced to pick up the bill
