Two Reform councillors have left the party less than a year after being elected, with one saying she can no longer continue as a result of what she said were “misogynistic undertones” in the way she had been treated.
Kathryn Shaw and Joanne Blythe will now sit on West Northamptonshire Council as Independents.
Ms Blythe was suspended by the party “pending investigation after indicating her intention to become an independent councillor,” a Reform spokesperson said.
But in a statement to the BBC, the councillor said that after reflection, she could no longer continue under the council’s current leadership.
She raised concerns about “what I perceive to be misogynistic undertones in the treatment I have received”.
Ms Blythe added: “I wish to be absolutely clear that the suspension of the whip related solely to an administrative inquiry made on behalf of another councillor regarding the procedural process for becoming an Independent. I am confident that there will be no plausible findings of misconduct against me.
“I was elected to represent my community robustly, and that commitment remains unchanged. I will now continue that work independently, guided solely by the best interests of those I serve.”
Meanwhile, Ms Shaw – who quit her role as a cabinet member for children, families and education at West Northamptonshire Council in January – said her decision to quit the party had not been “easy”, but she could “more effectively advocate for strong safeguarding systems” outside of the party structure.
The latest departures from the party come amid ongoing turbulence in Reform UK’s leadership of local authorities.
Last month, the head of Kent County Council’s cost-cutting programme resigned after suggesting the authority – which is Reform UK’s ‘flagship’ council – had “not made any cuts”.
Matthew Fraser Moat stood down from Kent County Council’s (KCC) cabinet in February after an interview with the Financial Times in which he and another cabinet minister appeared to suggest the authority had not saved money.
The councillor had been the head of the council’s Department of Local Government Efficiency (Dolge), which was inspired by Elon Musk’s cost-cutting Doge in the US.
Meanwhile, four Reform councillors on the same council were suspended last year while an investigation took place into the leak of a video to the press showing the leader of the local authority telling council members to “suck it up”.
Footage of an online meeting in which KCC leader Linden Kemkaran could be seen berating backbench councillors when they questioned her was leaked to the press in October.
On Tuesday, a Reform UK West Northants spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that Cllr Shaw has now chosen to resign from Reform UK, betraying the mandate her residents gave her and the activists who spent their time and energy to get her elected.
“We can also confirm that Cllr Joanne Blythe has been suspended pending investigation after indicating her intention to become an independent councillor.”
Ms Shaw and Ms Blythe have been contacted for comment.
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