Andrew Husband - Councillor for Chester-le-Street North | Reform Watch
Profile and accountability tracker for Andrew Husband, Councillor for Chester-le-Street North. null.
Role: Councillor for Chester-le-Street North
Recorded incidents (showing 1-2 of 2)
Andrew Husband reported to police over conduct as County Durham council leader
Category: intimidation bullying
Andrew Husband, leader of the Reform UK group on County Durham Council, has been reported to Durham Constabulary and is accused by former and current councillors of fostering a toxic culture on the council, including alleged bullying and harassment. Councillor Kenny Hope said Husband responded to a discussion of mental health by calling such issues "woke", a claim backed by former councillor Kate Roland, and other ex-Reform councillors described widespread infighting and intimidation. Durham Constabulary said other councillors had been reported to them and that the number of complaints had risen sharply, with the council incurring costs of around £50,000. Five councillors who defected from Reform have spoken publicly about the conduct of the local group and some said they had been fearful of speaking out while in the party. The accounts include resignations and social media attacks on former colleagues, and Husband remains identified in the leadership of the Reform group on the council. No public response from Husband or the local Reform group is included in the accounts summarised here; the matter involves ongoing police reports and internal disputes within the council group.
Andrew Husband defends calling mental health "virtue signalling" "woke" and mocks former colleagues in council-wide emails
Category: inflammatory language
Andrew Husband, Reform UK leader of Durham County Council, told Byline Times: "I stated Virtue Signalling about mental health in such a way is woke." In emails to all councillors he wrote that "weaponising the mental health card in a standards process" was woke, called three former Reform councillors "the three amigos", described their emails as "spamming" and said "these people can't even leak properly". On X he called former colleague Kenny Hope a "bitter ex reform misfit" and a "Restore wannabe nut job". He did not deny calling colleagues "narcissists". Former Reform councillors Kenny Hope and Kate Rowland, both now independents, allege that Husband said "mental health is woke" at an April 2026 cabinet working group meeting. Rowland claims the meeting included "drinking wine at 3:30 in the afternoon, vaping openly" and "belittling mental health". Hope has called a vote of no confidence, and the council's chief executive reportedly emailed all members to say their behaviour was unacceptable.