A newly elected councillor has resigned from Reform UK just days after securing her seat, following a suspension sparked by controversial social media posts and a public attack on party leader Nigel Farage.
Donna Edmunds, who was recently elected to represent Hodnet in Shropshire, announced on Sunday that she had been suspended from the party pending an internal investigation.
The move followed a post on X (formerly Twitter) in which she openly discussed plans to defect to a new political party, once established by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe.
Her earlier message suggested she was “waiting for Rupert Lowe to set up his challenger party — and then I will defect.” This revelation, made shortly after the local elections, led to swift disciplinary action by Reform UK.
In a subsequent post, Ms Edmunds expressed frustration with the party’s leadership and processes, stating that the only way to leave was to cancel her membership’s automatic renewal, meaning she technically remains a member until her current term expires.
Ms Edmunds did not hold back in her criticism of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, branding him “a terrible leader” and asserting he “must never be prime minister.”
She accused him of taking personal credit for others’ achievements and undermining colleagues behind the scenes. She stated, “A good leader brings the team with them… A bad leader stabs people in the back.”
Freed from party constraints, Ms Edmunds went on to publicly support the release of jailed far-right figure Tommy Robinson, controversially describing him as a “political prisoner.”
Her dramatic departure comes amid a turbulent period for Reform UK as it transitions into a party with real local government influence. The party recently claimed control of ten councils and secured mayoral victories in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire.
However, its early days in office have been marred by controversy. Reform UK faced backlash for announcing a blanket ban on all flags from council buildings except the Union Jack and the St George’s Cross, a move that would exclude Ukrainian and pride flags.
The party later clarified that county flags would also be permitted.
Adding to the confusion, The Independent revealed that Dame Andrea Jenkyns, newly elected Reform mayor for Greater Lincolnshire, pledged to abolish council diversity officer roles—only to discover the county council employs none.
