Paul Bean - Councillor for Crook | Reform Watch

Paul Bean remains a Durham county councillor for Crook and continues to attend council meetings. He was suspended and then expelled by Reform UK over alleged social media comments and became County Durham's first Advance UK councillor in January 2026. Durham's register still lists him under Advance UK, not aligned to any political group, following the party's dissolution, so his status update is pending. Sources: The Northern Echo; Durham County Council member record. Advance UK was deregistered on 10 July 2026, so no active Advance UK affiliation can exist; their council register entry has not yet been updated and they are listed here as Independent pending confirmation of any onward affiliation.