A serving Conservative county councillor joined and was expelled from Reform UK, a spokesman for the party has said.
In a statement issued on Monday (September 7), a spokesman for Reform UK says the party has formally expelled Michael Lunn, Conservative county councillor for Wealden North.
The party spokesman said Cllr Lunn had obtained membership of Reform UK on June 23 this year, but was expelled after the party became aware of his position.
The Reform UK spokesman said: “Cllr Michael Lunn has been expelled from Reform UK after it was revealed that he was also a sitting Conservative councillor on East Sussex County Council.”
When approached by the LDRS (Local Democracy Reporting Service), Cllr Lunn confirmed he had joined the party and attended Reform UK’s recent party conference in Birmingham.
In a statement, Cllr Lunn said: “I attended the Reform UK Conference in a professional capacity to better understand a party that is gaining political traction and whose policies could have significant consequences if ever implemented in Government.
“Attendance was not an endorsement. I remain a Conservative Party member and was open about that fact throughout the conference, with delegates fully aware of my political affiliation.
“I was particularly interested in speaking with Richard Tice, given his Conservative background and influence within Reform UK. I remain deeply concerned by a number of Reform UK’s radical and divisive policy positions.
“The conference itself did little to dispel concerns about the party’s organisational maturity. The fact that three activists were able to interrupt Nigel Farage’s keynote address highlighted apparent weaknesses in delegate scrutiny and event management.
“Given that delegates knew I was attending as a Conservative, I am not surprised by some of the reactions I received. Perhaps it is a lesson the party can learn from ahead of next year’s conference.”
The Conservative party has its own rules which prevent its members from being members, supporters or candidates of any other UK-registered political parties.
Bob Standley, chairman of the Sussex Weald Conservatives, a former East Sussex county councillor, confirmed he was aware of the matter.
He said: “I think he [Cllr Michael Lunn] became a Reform member to attend their conference because he is involved in environmental issues. I think he recognises that that was a mistake.
“He has always been a Conservative, he remains a Conservative. I think his short tenure as a Reform member was, he admits, an error of judgement.”
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