Reform UK Is a Cult, Claims Suspended Councillor in Explosive Exit

A newly elected councillor in Shropshire has launched a blistering attack on Reform UK after being suspended by the party, describing it as a “cult” and accusing leader Nigel Farage of showing “contempt” for its members.

Donna Edmunds, who won the Hodnet Ward seat, was suspended following a post on social media platform X, where she revealed her intentions to defect after the local elections. “I thought I was joining a party. It turned out I had joined a cult,” she said in a public statement.

Edmunds claims her suspension was triggered by a post urging voters to support Reform UK in the short term, an act the party deemed damaging to its reputation. She argued the real damage was done when the leadership “unceremoniously ditched” MP Rupert Lowe, an incident that, she said, sparked a wave of resignations.

While the party has declined to comment further until its internal investigation concludes, regional director Pete Durnell defended Reform UK’s candidate vetting process as the “best of all the political parties.” Edmunds’ comments, however, paint a picture of growing internal unrest just days after the polls closed.