Sixteen Departures As Reform’s Flagship Durham Council Descends Into Chaos - Reform Watch

Lyndsey Fox and Paul Sexton have left Reform’s council group, while a third departing councillor has asked not to be identified. Fox says the leadership failed to respond after she raised a “serious safeguarding issue” in July, telling Sky News that other councillors are deeply unhappy but “terrified” to speak openly. Sexton has not publicly explained his decision. He was elected as an independent in May 2025 before joining Reform days later. His departure means there are 15 publicly identified councillors in the wider tally, with today’s third resignation remaining anonymous. The circumstances behind the 16 departures vary. Two councillors resigned from the council itself, Reform expelled Jack McGlenen, and Paul Bean eventually joined Advance UK after his suspension. Most of the others became independents after disputes with the leadership. Reform retained one vacated seat in a by-election and gained Sexton after the election, so the figure does not represent a net loss of 16 seats. It does, however, expose the extraordinary instability inside an administration elected with 65 of the council’s 98 seats. Former Reform councillors have described a “toxic” and “autocratic” culture in which members are allegedly bullied, belittled and punished for challenging the leadership. Nick Brown accused council leader Andrew Husband and deputy leader Darren Grimes of targeting dissenters. Kenny Hope alleged bullying and harassment. Ian Catchpole resigned over the leadership’s treatment of mental-health concerns, while Kate Rowland became embroiled in the same dispute after attempting to raise questions about councillor welfare. Leaked messages attributed to Husband included warnings against making Reform “look woke” and a suggestion that councillors could hold hands and sing “Kum Ba Yah” during a row about mental health. Husband disputes the allegation that he called mental health itself woke and denies bullying. Reform has attacked the reporting as “misleading and malicious” while boasting about contract savings and council tax. Those claims cannot conceal what is happening inside its flagship northern council. Councillors are leaving, serious concerns remain unanswered and residents are watching Reform’s experiment in local government consume itself from within.