This makes for sobering reading. Despite sweeping the local elections last May, Reform’s promise to shake up regional governments and councils has simply not gone to plan. Scores of councillors elected just under a year ago have now left the party in some capacity.
How many councillors have left Reform since May 2025?
Of the 677 councillors wearing the light blue rosettes on polling day, 74 of them have either resigned, walked away, defected, been expelled, or been suspended from the party – more than 10% of their uptake. Somewhat remarkably, this has more than DOUBLED from the number reported six months ago.
The two most recent departures came from the Cornwall Council last week. Susanne Desmonde quit to become an independent, whereas Roger Tarrant decided to defect to Restore Britain.
Liberal Democrat peer and polling expert Mark Pack has been keeping a running total of the losses, charting each councillor and their reasons for either losing the whip or leaving Reform. He believes that the party is ‘getting their vetting processes wrong’.
“They appear as a rather dysfunctional group of people. If it was only the occasional story, you might think it is growing pains. But the numbers suggest they’re getting something wrong in their vetting and selection process.” | Mark Pack
Is Restore taking councillors from Reform?
Another fascinating development has come in the form of the threat posed by Restore Britain. Earlier in the year, Rupert Lowe – who was banished from Reform himself back in 2025 – established his new political party, appealing to those beyond the centre-right.
As many as 17 councillors have ditched Farage for Lowe in the past few months. The MP for Great Yarmouth has a particularly strong support base online, and was previously identified by Elon Musk as someone the billionaire would like to see serve as the UK Prime Minister.
Councils of chaos – what’s going wrong for Farage and co?
After winning big in last year’s Local Elections, Reform have been dogged by chaos across their council seats. Tax rises and leadership struggles have persisted from Durham to Worcestershire. However, their “flagship” authority in Kent has encountered most of the chaos.
A video leak revealing hot tempers and profanities during a private online meeting of party councillors blew up online. The footage captured leader Linden Kemkaran accusing dissenting colleagues of “treachery” and telling them to “fu**ing suck it up” when they questioned her decisions.
In the fallout, four councillors were suspended, and at least five more were expelled because the party said their conduct “undermined” its interests and brought it into “disrepute”, according to the BBC – a move which has put Reform’s majority in the county under serious jeaopardy.