Twelve Reform councillors to resign as they brand Farage ‘not up to the job’

Twelve Reform UK councillors have announced that they are to resign in protest against Nigel Farage, branding the party leader “disloyal” and “autocratic”.

They could quit as early as this evening, it is reported, and the resignations would add to pressure on the former UKIP leader.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk said on January 5 that Mr Farage was “not up to the job”.

The councillors alleged that Reform UK was being run in an “autocratic manner”, and accused the MP for Clacton of “disloyalty” to long-term members.

It comes as splits have emerged in the party over the jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whom Mr Musk has voiced his support for.

The councillors who say they will jump ship between them hold two district council seats, nine town council seats and five parish council seats, The Guardian reports.

All are from Derbyshire, and include Alex Stephenson, who came second in Amber Valley during the general election, attaining 28% of the vote.

In a statement, the councillors reportedly said they could not continue “in good conscience” under the leadership of Mr Farage.

They added: “We believe that the current party management is either incompetent or malevolent, and we have lost all confidence in the leadership and its structures.”

They also cited a lack of internal democracy, claiming that a new constitution adopted by Reform UK at its annual conference was flawed.

In addition, the statement claims that there had been no progress towards a promise by Farage to democratise the party, which was set up as a company in which he holds a controlling stake.

The councillors voiced their support former joint deputy leader Ben Habib, whom they said had been “unceremoniously dumped”.

They added that he was the man who “truly represents the vision and values that drew us to Reform UK”.

Mr Farage launched a blistering attack on Mr Habib on Tuesday, warning him that he’s got “too big for his boots”.

When asked on LBC how much of a loss Mr Habib was, Mr Farage brutally responded: “None whatsover.”

He added: “I appointed logically Richard Tice as deputy leader and Mr Habib did not like that and has fought against us ever since. Sometimes people get too big for their own boots.”

Mr Habib previously told the Express: “Unless and until there is a democratisation of the party, with checks and balances brought into place, a broader team of people created, Reform UK is only Nigel Farage. That is the beginning and end and all of it, frankly.

“If there was a mechanism by which leadership could change then Rupert Lowe would be a fantastic leader.”