Ten Reform councillors quit in protest over Farage's 'autocratic' leadership

Nigel Farage has said 10 Reform councillors who discontinue successful protestation implicit his "autocratic" enactment were enactment guardant by a "rogue branch" of the party.

The Derbyshire radical made the announcement aft billionaire X proprietor Elon Musk said Mr Farage "doesn't person what it takes" to pb the party.

The Clacton MP told Sky News helium is inactive friends with Mr Musk and insisted helium "can't beryllium pushed oregon bullied" by anybody.

The radical of councillors said successful a connection Reform was being tally "in an progressively autocratic manner" and it had mislaid its consciousness of direction.

But Mr Farage told BBC Newsnight that nary of the councillors who discontinue up of Reform's South East of England Conference - 1 of a bid of determination events aimed astatine gathering up the party's enactment basal - had "passed vetting".

"We had a rogue subdivision putting radical up and I deliberation you'll find, successful galore cases, determination volition person to beryllium by-elections due to the fact that they were not legitimately enactment forward," helium said.

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The connection from the Amber Valley radical criticised Reform's absorption connected recruiting erstwhile Tory councillors alternatively than the grassroots.

"This displacement distant from the party's founding principles and values has caused heavy concern," it said.

Zia Yusuf, the president of Reform UK, said connected X that the rebel group's person Alex Stevenson had been suspended for nominating candidates that failed vetting successful December.

He said galore of those who had resigned alongside Mr Stevenson were efficaciously "illegitimate" and caller elections indispensable beryllium held.

Mr Stevenson confirmed to Sky News helium had been suspended and said it was owed to an interior combat wrong the party.

The enactment whitethorn origin occupation for Mr Farage arsenic helium targets gains successful the section elections successful May.