Reform UK is a 'cult', says suspended councillor

A recently elected councillor who discontinue Reform UK aft she was suspended implicit a societal media station has described it arsenic a "cult", and accused the party's person Nigel Farage of treating its members with contempt.

Donna Edmunds, who was elected for Hodnet Ward successful Shropshire, was suspended following a station connected X astir her plans to defect from the enactment aft the section elections.

"I thought I was joining a party. It turned retired I had joined a cult," Edmunds said successful a statement.

The BBC has approached Reform UK for comment. On Sunday however, its West Midlands determination manager Pete Durnell, told BBC Politics Midlands the enactment had the "best vetting process of each the governmental parties".

With respect to Edmunds' circumstantial case, a spokesperson antecedently said they would not remark connected the details until the party's ain probe into the lawsuit had concluded.

On Sunday, Edmunds posted connected X she had been suspended from Reform "pending an investigation".

"Why? Because I urged radical present connected X to lend Reform their enactment for the abbreviated word - for Thursday's elections - adjacent if they felt they couldn't for the agelong term," she wrote successful the post.

"According to caput office, 'this has brought the enactment into disrepute and damaged the interests of the party.'"

Edmunds added the enactment was brought into disrepute erstwhile enactment "unceremoniously ditched" MP Rupert Lowe and that his suspension had "provoked a scope of resignations".

In a connection connected Monday, Edmunds described Reform UK arsenic "at warfare with its ain grassroots".

"How other to explicate Farage's wholly unwarranted attack, yet again connected those of america who person been calling for much ideology wrong the party, made during the VE Day celebrations coverage?" she asked.

She added Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, said helium "demands loyalty," but loyalty wasn't "won by request but by earning it".

Edmunds said she remained loyal to grassroots enactment members but could not basal silently by "as the cult's person wages warfare against them".

"Farage has shown perfectly nary loyalty to hundreds of hard moving enactment members crossed the country, who person dedicated themselves to gathering Reform up to beryllium an predetermination winning machine," she said.

"On the contrary. helium treats them with contempt, regularly casting them speech to beryllium replaced by 'yes men' who are consenting to show sycophantic loyalty."