Reform accuses departing councillors of 'betrayal'
Three councillors have resigned from Reform UK on Durham County Council, prompting the party to accuse them of betraying voters and members. Lyndsey Fox cited an unaddressed safeguarding issue as a reason for her departure, while the other two councillors declined to provide specific explanations. The resignations reduce Reform's majority on the council to four seats, leaving them with 51 councillors.
- ▪Lyndsey Fox, Nicole Brown, and Paul Sexton have had their status changed to independent on the Durham County Council website.
- ▪Reform UK leader Andrew Husband accused the departing councillors of conning residents and betraying party members who supported their election.
- ▪Councillor Lyndsey Fox stated she reported a serious safeguarding issue to the party on July 14 but received no response.
- ▪The resignations leave Reform UK with a slim majority of 51 councillors on the Durham County Council.
- ▪None of the three councillors provided precise reasons for their departure, with Fox being the only one to publicly comment on her motivations.
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| Publication time | Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:14:39 GMT |
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Reform accuses departing councillors of 'betrayal'Image source, Durham County CouncilImage caption, Lyndsey Fox, Paul Sexton and Nicole Brown are now listed as independent councillorsBySamantha Jagger and Simon Page, North East and CumbriaPublished21 minutes agoThree councillors who have resigned from Reform UK have "conned " voters and "betrayed" those who helped get them elected, the party has said. Lyndsey Fox, Nicole Brown and Paul Sexton have had their party affiliation changed to independent on the Durham County Council website, external, although none has given precise reasons for their shift.It leaves Reform with a small majority, with 51 councillors, on an authority the party emphatically won control of when grabbing 65 seats at last year's election.
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