Reform UK’s rapid rise in local government following the 2025 elections has been accompanied by a striking pattern of instability, with dozens of councillors resigning, being suspended, or defecting within months of being elected. What began as a breakthrough—winning around 677 council seats nationwide—quickly turned into a sustained loss of personnel across multiple authorities.
The scale of departures is significant. By April 2026, at least 44 councillors had left Reform UK since those elections, either resigning outright, being expelled, or switching allegiance to other parties or independent status. This includes figures from councils across England such as Shropshire, Warwickshire, Kent, Cornwall, Durham, Staffordshire, Doncaster, and Northumberland, indicating that the issue is not isolated but systemic.
A pattern of exits
The list of those who have quit or been removed is long and politically damaging. Among the most notable:
- Donna Edmunds (Shropshire) – suspended, then quit
- Luke Shingler (Warwickshire) – now independent
- Desmond Clarke (Nottinghamshire) – resigned as councillor
- Andrew Kilburn (Durham) – resigned
- Wayne Titley (Staffordshire) – resigned
- Mark Broadhurst (Doncaster) – expelled
- Adam Smith (West Northamptonshire) – suspended and later resigned
- Daniel Taylor (Kent) – suspended and later jailed
- Ed Hill (Devon) – expelled, later joined another party
- Angela Nash (Devon) – became independent
- Rowland O’Connor (Cornwall) – now independent
- Rob Parsonage (Cornwall) – defected to Conservatives
- Kathy Gibbon (Buckinghamshire) – joined Conservatives
And dozens more across Kent, Cornwall, Derbyshire, and elsewhere, many leaving under clouds of suspension, internal disputes, or disciplinary action.
In Kent alone, multiple councillors were suspended following a leaked meeting exposing deep internal conflict, further weakening the party’s control of the council.
Ongoing turmoil in 2026
The instability has not slowed. During the 2026 election cycle, Reform has continued to lose candidates and representatives. In Scotland, one report noted that at least nine candidates had either quit or been removed during a single campaign period, highlighting ongoing organisational issues.
In Wales, at least three Senedd candidates also resigned before the election, citing concerns over candidate selection, internal culture, and the dominance of former Conservative figures within the party.
The case of Jade Cotton
Against this backdrop, the resignation of Jade Cotton, a Reform UK candidate in Ladywood, Birmingham, is emblematic of wider concerns. Cotton, 38, who has cerebral palsy, quit the party just days before polling, stating she no longer felt supported. She raised concerns about disability access and said she felt “unseen,” while also criticising the party’s stance on disability rights and LGBTQ+ issues.
Despite her resignation, she will still appear on the ballot paper as a Reform UK candidate due to administrative deadlines—an outcome that underlines the organisational disarray surrounding candidate management.
A party struggling with cohesion
Taken together, this points to a party grappling with the transition from populism to realism. Reports of poor vetting, internal disputes, disciplinary actions and ideological tensions have all contributed to the steady attrition of councillors.
Even early warnings were evident: within weeks of their electoral success, Reform had already begun losing councillors through suspensions and resignations. Since then, the situation has only escalated.
Reform UK’s councillor losses are not a handful of isolated incidents; they represent a pattern of structural instability. With over 40 councillors gone, multiple candidates quitting mid-campaign and ongoing internal disputes, the party faces serious questions about discipline, governance, and long-term viability.
Jade Cotton’s departure is not an anomaly. It is part of a broader story.
And viewed in that context, the conclusion is difficult to avoid: what looked like momentum now increasingly resembles disarray.
