Infighting in the Reform UK party in Devon has seen two county councillors and an election agent reported to police by a colleague over election expenses.

[Fratricide on Devon County Council as reform Reform UK, in a rush to judgement, removes whistle blower from his post and the party, without telling him, for bringing the party “into disrepute”! Read on. – Owl]

Miles Davis, Bradley Gerrard www.bbc.co.uk 

Neil Stevens and his brother Tony were elected for Reform in May and documents seen by the BBC allege Neil Stevens spent about £170 more than the campaign spending limit.

This was reported to police by Ed Hill, who was also elected for Reform in May and was the chairman of the Exeter branch but was removed from the post for what the party says was bringing it “into disrepute”.

Neil Stevens said he misunderstood the process and his election agent Rob Sheridan said he was “confident” there were no errors. Tony Stevens declined to comment.

The Reform UK party won 18 seats in the Devon County Council elections held on 1 May – becoming the second biggest party on the council behind the Liberal Democrats.

Neil Stevens won the Alphington and Cowick seat with 1,126 votes – 72 votes ahead of the Labour candidate Yvonne Atkinson, with the Liberal Democrats a close third on 1,030 votes.

In county council elections, spending limits are set in each ward according to the number of voters, external.

In Alphington and Cowick the limit was set at £1,827.04 – however the election expenditure return papers for Stevens show he spent £1,995.72.

Hill was previously the election agent for Stevens but papers seen by the BBC show Sheridan was appointed as election agent on 3 June, a day before the election expenses forms were submitted.

Hill also alleges that a £250 podcast recording expense claimed by Tony Stevens, who won his Exwick and St Thomas seat by 22 votes, should be split equally between the brothers – further raising the expenditure of Neil Stevens.

Hill said he reported his concerns relating to Sheridan and Neil and Tony Stevens to the police and to the Electoral Commission on 1 June.

He said he had made “a clear promise to the people of Exeter” to “hold our candidates and councillors to the same high standards we expect of others”.

A spokesman from the national Reform UK party told the BBC: “Ed Hill has been removed as chairman of Reform UK Exeter after bringing the party into disrepute.

“There’s currently an ongoing internal investigation into the matter so we won’t be commenting further.”

Neil Stevens told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he believed the spending limit only related to the money he had personally contributed to his campaign – £1,703.60 – and not to donations of £292.12 he received, meaning he believed he was below the spending limit.

Sheridan told the LDRS he was “confident” there were no errors and that third parties had checked them.

He added further checks to the returns were now being made, and if there had been an error, then an amended return would be filed.

Exceeding limits on candidate expenses can lead to an unlimited fine, while making a false declaration attracts the same punishment and/or up to six months in prison for a less serious summary conviction, or up to 12 months on indictment, according to the College of Policing.

A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said the spending limit applied “to all spending during the regulated period in the run up to the local elections” including any personal money spent and donations received.

It said: “Any allegations of spending over the limit would be a matter for the police.”

Devon and Cornwall Police did not respond to requests for comment.

Social Media records the spat

A flavour of the internal Reform row can be gained from Cllr Ed Hill’s facebook screenshots below, full link here!

So much for Nolan’s seven principles of public office: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership! – Owl

Cllr Ed Hill’s text reads:

I stepped away from the computer today and got stuck into replacing the wishbone on my car. Any mechanic will tell you—no matter how straightforward the job seems, if it’s a French car, it’s rarely simple.

Meanwhile, I’ve learned that I’ve been suspended from Reform UK Exeter and as a Reform councillor on Devon County Council. According to Matt Sykes, I’ve brought the party into disrepute.

It’s disappointing, especially given that the only communication I’ve received about it today was the same email sent to all members. Not even a phone call or a text.

That said, I’m now free to speak to the media without party restrictions. I’ll be on BBC tomorrow at 10:30, and later on LBC (time to be confirmed).

For the record, the two councillors who are actually under police investigation remain in post. I don’t think it takes an expert to see how that might come across.

Hopefully, in time, the party will reflect on this, recognise the facts, and do the right thing. Because I know I’ve acted with integrity and done nothing wrong