A warwickshire councillor who quit Reform UK cited the welcoming of “hated” ex-MP Nadhim Zahawi among his reasons for switching to Restore Britain.
Cllr Luke Cooper last week joined a number of locally-elected officials from around the country in pledging allegiance to ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe’s new political movement.
His reasons focused on national issues but he also expressed frustration at the reaction to his decision from members of the Reform group that controls Warwickshire County Council, something that convinced him he had made “the right choice”.
Mr Zahawi was MP for Stratford-on-Avon and served as chancellor of the exchequer and Conservative party chairman.
An investigation into his affairs by His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) saw him pay £5 million over a “tax error”.
He was subsequently sacked as Tory chairman with then-prime minister Rishi Sunak making clear there had been “a serious breach of the ministerial code”.
He stood down ahead of the 2024 general election but has popped back up as part of Reform UK’s push for government, much to Cllr Cooper’s disgust.
“He is hated in Stratford,” he said.
“We were told – well, we think we were told – by (Reform’s) upper management that he would never be around Stratford but he is enough of a poison to ruin things.
“I am not that concerned by winning seats but they should have been aware and thought about what the benefit would be – there doesn’t seem to be one.”
Cllr Scott Cameron (left) and Cllr Luke Cooper have had the Reform UK whip removed (images via WCC)
Like Warwickshire colleague Cllr Scott Cameron, who also joined Restore last week, Cllr Cooper explained that he is “not a fan” of Reform “chasing the centrist vote”.
“Staying true to yourself is important,” he said.
“I was willing to let go of people playing the political game but when it is proven that it is purely for the gain and they do not believe in the core values that made you join in the first place, it is hard to stay loyal.”
He argued Reform was “going soft on core values”, including shifting the narrative to illegal immigration as opposed to the wider immigration debate “because it sounds better in the press”, adding that people higher up the food chain were “obviously panicked” having recently been asked to vote in a WhatsApp poll sent out to check on the loyalty of councillors.
Cllr Cooper said he ignored the request, primarily because he was working at the time.
He also didn’t like the party “attacking” Rupert Lowe.
“I was a fan of Lowe from the beginning and didn’t like the horror he went through,” he continued.
“For a time I was willing to stick it out for the greater cause but I no longer think Reform is that greater cause.
“That was proven when we went to leave. All the classic left insults came out – racist, far-right, nutjob. That is not what I got into politics for.”
Cllr Cooper confirmed when asked that he was referring to feedback from Warwickshire’s Reform group with some reaching for the “worst possible interpretation” of his views.
“They went for a bad-faith interpretation as soon as it wasn’t from their own party,” he said.
“That was strange to me because I am not a party-centred person. The insults start flying, they start talking like Tories. It was a surprise because it was the same stick that everyone beat Reform with only a year ago.
“As soon as you start putting pressure on them from the right, they respond the same way as everyone else does. That made me think even more that this was the right choice.”
Leader of Warwickshire County Council and its Reform group Councillor George Finch has been approached for comment by the LDRS.
