Reform councillors, talk the talk…
Tories swipe at 'chaos and confusion' in local councils after Reform UK's takeover of town halls sees a slew of resignations, flag rows, flooding fears and a bitter dispute with firefighters
ittle more than a week after being elected as a Reform councillor, Andrew Kilburn announced he will no longer take up his role on Durham County Council.
It came after he failed to declare that he worked for the council when standing for election, which is against the law.
Reform said it looked forward to contesting a subsequent by-election in the Benfieldside ward.
In Staffordshire, Wayne Titley resigned as a county councillor just two weeks after being elected.
He won the Eccleshall and Gnosall division for Reform, but was engulfed in a row about a post on his Facebook account.
It called on the Royal Navy to use 'a volley of gun fire' with the aim of 'sinking' small boats in the Channel.
Mr Titley quit for 'personal reasons', while Reform faced criticism over the triggering of a by-election which would cost local taxpayers an estimated £27,000.
Separately, up to a dozen Reform councillors have faced claims of sharing far-right and Islamophobic social media content, including the sharing of posts by Britain First.
There have also been departures of Reform councillors in Kent and Warwickshire.
Reform suspended Kent county councillor Daniel Taylor, who now sits as an independent, following 'a matter which is now with the police'.
And, in Warwickshire, the recently-elected county council leader resigned to leave his 18-year-old deputy in charge.
Reform councillor Rob Howard, who was in power for 41 days, said he had made the decision with 'much regret' and cited health reasons for his departure.
A damning dossier has revealed the 'chaos and confusion' that Reform councillors are sowing across England after their local elections success on 1 May.
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