Reform UK councillor given the boot

The politician says there's been a misunderstanding

A suspended Reform UK councillor has lodged an appeal against the party’s decision to remove him from the group.

Ed Hill, who represents Pinhoe and Mincinglake on Devon County Council, has been removed from the Reform UK party after claims he published a letter in the name of all Reform Devon county councillors without their consent.

Cllr Hill distributed a letter campaigning on the issue of free school meals to the county’s MPs, claiming it had been signed by his party’s other 17 county councillors.

The letter called for automatic enrolment for those entitled to free school meals, rather than the current process that relies on parents or guardians to apply.

The party says he had not asked their consent, although Cllr Hill said he genuinely believed he had secured their permission via one of the Reform councillors.

“I think it feels like an overreaction and I’m still committed to the Reform cause,” he said.

“Nobody from Reform contacted me about the suspension before it happened.”

Cllr Hill said he set up a WhatsApp group on the free school meals issue, and was told by one of its members that “they will sign the letter they just won’t join this group”.

He took this to mean that the party members were onboard with the letter’s message  but did not want to join the specifically created group on the messaging app.

“At worst, this was a genuine misinterpretation of that message – but a reasonable one, made in good faith, based on the wording ‘they will sign this letter, they just won’t join this group’,” he said in his appeal to the party’s general secretary, Tom Waterhouse.

“Had I been able to communicate directly with my fellow councillors through formal party channels — instead of being excluded from all internal communications — this confusion could have been easily avoided,” he said

“I was left relying on indirect messages and gatekeepers to coordinate with my own group, which is not a professional or sustainable way to operate.”

A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Cllr Ed Hill has been expelled from Reform UK after his actions damaged the interests of the party.

“We will not tolerate any councillor using their colleagues’ names without their consent.”

Cllr Michael Fife Cook, leader of the 17-strong Reform group on Devon Council, said:

“Irrespective of something being a good cause, attaching councillors’ names to a letter without their consent is totally unacceptable behaviour.

“That Cllr Hill not only did this, but then made the letter public – including sending it to the media and MPs – meant disciplinary action was inevitable.”

He added: “Many people find the transition from citizen to public office challenging. We have all tried to guide and protect each other on this journey, but this crossed a line unfortunately.”

Cllr Hill, who also wrote in his letter he wanted a “fair and impartial review of this mattress part of the formal appeal process”, is now described as ‘not specified’ on the Devon County Council webpage that tells residents which party every councillor belongs to.

At the same time as expelling Cllr Hill, Reform UK confirmed no action would be taken against Cllr Neil Stevens, who represents the Alphington & Cowick division, regarding his election expense return.

A Reform UK spokesman said: “We understand an application for relief is being submitted in respect of the election expense return of Cllr Neil Stevens and, on the basis of the information we have received, we are confident this will be successful.”