Ten Reform councillors quit in protest over Farage's 'autocratic' leadership
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Nigel Farage has said 10 Reform councillors who quit in protest over his "autocratic" leadership were put forward by a "rogue branch" of the party. The Derbyshire group made the announcement after billionaire X owner Elon Musk said Mr Farage "doesn't have what it takes" to lead the party.
The Clacton MP told Sky News he is still friends with Mr Musk and insisted he "can't be pushed or bullied" by anybody. The group of councillors said in a statement Reform was being run "in an increasingly autocratic manner" and it had lost its sense of direction.
But Mr Farage told BBC Newsnight that none of the councillors who quit ahead of Reform's South East of England Conference - one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party's support base - had "passed vetting". "We had a rogue branch putting people up and I think you'll find, in many cases, there will have to be by-elections because they were not legitimately put forward," he said.
Read more from Sky News:UK records coldest January night in 15 yearsReeves says budget 'non-negotiable' on China trip. Why the government's devolution overhaul matters. Nigel Farage says he 'can't be pushed or bullied' after Elon Musk said Reform needs new leader.
Right-wing accounts on X prompted Elon Musk to find interest in grooming gangs scandal, Sky News analysis finds. The statement from the Amber Valley group criticised Reform's focus on recruiting former Tory councillors rather than the grassroots. "This shift away from the party's founding principles and values has caused deep concern," it said.
